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Transcribe English, French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hindi, and more than 30 other languages into IPA without switching between sites or charts.
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Phonetic Transcription
Transcribe any text or audio into phonetic symbols, in any language.
AskSia transcribes English, French, Mandarin, and 40+ other languages into IPA phonetic symbols. Paste a word, a sentence, or a full paragraph, or upload an audio file to convert speech directly into phonetic notation. Useful for language learners, linguistics students, ESL teachers, and anyone working on pronunciation. Free to start, no credit card required.
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asksia.ai/transcribe
LIVE · 00:19:16
Transcribing
EN → 中文 · 日本語 · 한국어
1
Prof. Chen 0:00Okay, so today we're covering the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. It connects differentiation and integration in one elegant result.
🇩🇪 Heute behandeln wir den Hauptsatz der Differential- und Integralrechnung.
2
Student 0:53Could you explain how the Riemann sum connects to integration at the limit?
🇯🇵 リーマン和が極限でどのように積分と関係するのか説明していただけますか？
1
Prof. Chen 1:21LIVE4:32
19:16
Quick Answer
How do you transcribe text into phonetic symbols?
To transcribe text into phonetic symbols, you map each spoken sound in the word to its corresponding symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). AskSia does this automatically: paste any text in one of 40+ supported languages, and AskSia returns a side-by-side IPA transcription, word by word. The tool supports both broad (phonemic) and narrow (phonetic) transcription modes, includes tone markings for languages like Mandarin and Vietnamese, and can also transcribe audio recordings directly into phonetic symbols. The free plan covers unlimited text-to-IPA conversion with no credit card required.
2M+
students using AskSia
40+
languages supported
<0.1s
transcription latency
95%+
accuracy on clear audio
Why AskSia
Why AskSia is a useful tool for phonetic transcription.
Online IPA charts let you look up symbols one at a time. AskSia transcribes whole sentences in one click, alongside the original text, with audio playback and pronunciation guidance built in.
Broad and narrow transcription
Switch between phonemic transcription (broad, between slashes) and phonetic transcription (narrow, between square brackets) depending on whether you need a simple representation or a detailed one with aspiration, length, and accent marks.
Phonemic and phonetic modes
Tone marks for tonal languages
Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Thai transcriptions include full tone marking. Mandarin can also display Pinyin alongside IPA so you can move between systems while you study.
Tones, Pinyin, IPA
Audio in, IPA out
Upload a recording or paste a YouTube link, and AskSia transcribes the audio directly into phonetic symbols. Useful for studying real pronunciation, accents, and connected speech instead of dictionary forms.
Audio to IPA
How It Works
How to transcribe phonetic symbols in three steps.
Step 01
Paste text or upload audio
Paste a word, sentence, or paragraph in any of 40+ supported languages, or upload an audio file to transcribe speech directly into phonetic symbols.
Audio Source
Microphone
Live audio around you
Browser Tab
Zoom, YouTube, Meet
Upload File
MP3, MP4, WAV, M4A...
Step 02
Pick the language and IPA mode
AskSia detects the language automatically. Choose between broad and narrow IPA depending on whether you want a simple phonemic transcription or a more detailed phonetic one.
Language Settings
Source
English (US) ▾
Translate
中文 (简体) ▾
Speakers
Auto-detect ▾
Start Transcribing →
Step 03
Read, compare, export
The IPA transcription appears alongside the original text or audio, word by word. Ask Sia for pronunciation tips, or export the result as TXT, DOCX, or send to Google Docs.
P
Prof. Smith"...the Fundamental Theorem connects differentiation and integration..."
🇨🇳 微积分基本定理将微分与积分联系起来...
S
Student"Could you explain the Riemann sum convergence?"
🇨🇳 您能解释黎曼和的收敛性吗？
Available On
Phonetic transcription on every device.
Use AskSia on the web for full IPA workflows, or on your phone for quick lookups and pronunciation practice on the go.
🖥 Web App
Full IPA workspace
On the web, AskSia displays the original text on the left and the IPA transcription on the right, word by word. Click any word to see broad and narrow transcription side by side, hear the audio, and ask Sia why a sound is pronounced the way it is.
Word-by-word IPA alignment
Broad and narrow modes in one click
Audio playback for each word
Export to TXT, DOCX, or Google Docs
Summarize key ideas
Create quiz
Export notes
📱 Mobile App
Pronunciation practice on the go
Open the app, paste a sentence, and read the IPA on your phone screen. Use the microphone to record yourself and AskSia transcribes your pronunciation into IPA so you can compare it to the reference.
One-tap IPA lookup for any text
Record your own pronunciation as IPA
Auto-sync with your Web App library
Offline access to saved transcriptions
1
ProfessorThe lecture is being captured...
中文翻译同步显示...
2
StudentCan you repeat the definition?
Use Cases
Who uses a phonetic transcription tool.
Language learners
Convert vocabulary lists, song lyrics, or news articles into IPA so you know exactly how each word is pronounced, no matter how unintuitive the spelling. Useful for English, French, and other languages with deep orthography.
ESL, EFL, self-study
Linguistics and phonetics students
Generate accurate broad and narrow transcriptions for assignments, fieldwork, or research. AskSia handles tone, stress, and length marking, and can transcribe both standard text and audio recordings.
Linguistics coursework
ESL and language teachers
Build pronunciation worksheets, dictation drills, or minimal pair exercises in seconds by transcribing word lists and sample sentences into IPA for any of 40+ supported languages.
Teaching materials
Singers and voice professionals
Transcribe lyrics, scripts, or audition pieces into IPA for clear, consistent pronunciation in performance languages, including French, Italian, German, and Latin.
Diction and performance
Speech and accent coaching
Compare a recording of a learner with a target pronunciation by transcribing both into narrow IPA. Useful for accent reduction, pronunciation training, and speech therapy preparation.
Accent and speech work
Tonal language study
Transcribe Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, or Thai with full tone marking, plus Pinyin alongside IPA for Mandarin. Helpful for matching tones to spoken examples and studying tone sandhi rules.
Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Thai
Compare
AskSia vs. traditional
transcription tools.
Most transcription tools are built for meetings. AskSia is built for how students actually learn: bilingual, fast-moving, context-heavy.
| Feature | AskSia Transcribe | Standard Transcription Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time latency | ✓ <0.1s | ~2–5s delay |
| Simultaneous multi-language translation | ✓ 40+ languages, live | Post-processing only |
| Built-in AI chat during recording | ✓ Ask anything while live | Not available |
| Auto speaker identification | ✓ Up to 10 speakers | 2–5 speakers, often inaccurate |
| Bilingual / code-switching support | ✓ Mid-sentence detection | Single language only |
| Academic vocabulary accuracy | ✓ Context-aware | Generic dictionary |
| Auto-generate quizzes and flashcards | ✓ One-tap from any transcript | Export only |
| Browser Tab capture | ✓ No extension needed | Extension or integration required |
| Free to start | ✓ 30 min/file, unlimited sessions | Time-limited trial |
FAQ
Common questions about phonetic transcription with AskSia.
How do I transcribe text into phonetic symbols?
Paste your text into AskSia, select the source language (or let AskSia detect it automatically), and the tool returns the IPA phonetic transcription instantly. The transcription appears next to the original text, word by word, and works across more than 40 languages including English, French, Spanish, Mandarin, German, Japanese, Korean, and Arabic.
What is IPA phonetic transcription?
IPA phonetic transcription uses the International Phonetic Alphabet to represent the sounds of spoken language with standardized symbols. Each symbol corresponds to a specific sound, so the same IPA transcription is readable across languages and accents. AskSia produces both broad transcription (phonemic, simpler) and narrow transcription (phonetic, more detailed) on request.
Which languages does AskSia transcribe into IPA?
AskSia transcribes more than 40 languages into IPA phonetic symbols, including English (American and British), French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Arabic, Hindi, Vietnamese, Thai, and most major European, East Asian, and Middle Eastern languages.
Can AskSia transcribe audio recordings into phonetic symbols?
Yes. Upload an MP3, WAV, M4A, or any other common audio file, or record live from your microphone, and AskSia transcribes the speech directly into IPA phonetic symbols. Useful for studying pronunciation, comparing native and learner accents, or capturing the actual sounds of a recording rather than its dictionary spelling.
Does AskSia support tones for Mandarin and other tonal languages?
Yes. For Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Thai, and other tonal languages, AskSia includes tone markings in the phonetic transcription. Mandarin transcriptions can also display Pinyin alongside IPA, so you can switch between the two systems depending on what you are studying.
What is the difference between broad and narrow IPA transcription?
Broad (phonemic) transcription represents only the meaningful sound categories of a language, written between slashes like /kæt/. Narrow (phonetic) transcription captures finer detail like aspiration, vowel length, and accent variations, written between square brackets like [kʰæt]. AskSia supports both modes and lets you switch between them in one click.
Is the phonetic transcription tool free?
Yes. AskSia is free to start with no credit card required. The free plan covers unlimited text-to-IPA transcription and audio files up to 30 minutes. AskSia Pro and AskSia Super unlock unlimited audio duration, higher-accuracy tiers, Google Docs export, and the full AI study companion.
Start Today
Paste a word. See how it really sounds.
Transcribe any text or audio into IPA phonetic symbols with AskSia. 40+ languages, broad and narrow modes, tone marks for tonal languages. Free to start, no credit card.
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