Cornish → IPA Converter
SWF-based broad learner IPA prototype. Built-in function-word entries, apostrophe-normalised lookup, dictionary overrides, and intervocalic s → /z/ are used first; rule-generated forms are provisional.
Cornish phonemic chart
A broad revived Cornish phonemic chart is available as a separate companion reference.
Open phonemic chart
Green = dictionary/verified override.
Highlighted = rule-generated and provisional.
Fully long vowels are shown with ː; mid-length vowels with ˑ; stress with ˈ; syllable boundaries with ..
Custom dictionary overrides
Add one entry per line as word = /IPA/. These override the automatic converter.
This is the best place to add exceptions over time. Note: dictionary entries override the mm → b.m checkbox.
Current rule model
| Rule | Prototype behaviour |
|---|---|
| Dictionary first | Known words override all rules. |
| Stress | Multi-syllable unknown words are given penultimate stress. |
| Function words | Common function words such as an/a'n → /an/, a → /a/, yn → /ɪn/, dhe → /ðɛ/, ma → /ma/ are built in and normally unstressed. |
| Unstressed vowels | All vowels are short. |
| Stressed vowels before groups | Short before consonant groups, except sp, st, and sk. |
| Stressed vowels before double consonants | Short before double consonants, e.g. hemma → /ˈhɛm.ma/. |
| Stressed vowels in monosyllables | Fully long before a single consonant, sp, st, or sk: ː. |
| Stressed vowels in polysyllables | Mid-length before a single consonant, sp, st, or sk: ˑ. |
Double mm | Default: preserve the geminate/syllable-splitting effect, e.g. hemma → /ˈhɛm.ma/. Optional Late Cornish-style pre-occlusion: mm → b.m, e.g. hemma → /ˈhɛb.ma/. |
| Apostrophe spellings | Treat apostrophes as Cornish orthography, not IPA stress. They are removed from the IPA output, e.g. dy'mergher → /dɪˈmɛrxɛr/. |
Single s | Initial and final s are /s/; intervocalic single s is /z/, e.g. esa → /ˈɛˑza/. Double ss stays /s.s/. |
Rule notes
| Spelling | Approx. IPA |
|---|---|
| ch | /tʃ/ |
| dh | /ð/ |
| th | /θ/ |
| gh | /x/ |
| hw, wh | /ʍ/ |
| j | /dʒ/ |
| y | /ɪ/; long stressed y as /ɪː/ |
| intervocalic single s | /z/ |
| fully long vowel | add /ː/, e.g. /ɛː/ |
| mid-length vowel | add /ˑ/, e.g. /ɛˑ/ |
| syllable boundary | use /./, e.g. /ˈhɛm.ma/ = hem-ma |
Exception-list format
Future corrections can be pasted straight into the override box, like this:
word = /IPA/
dhyd = /ðɪːd/
kemmeres = /kɛmˈmɛˑrɛs/