Interactive IPA

Paul Meier has designed and developed an app appears to be a true game changer in the field of learning and understanding the nuances and subtleties of dialect. Even though I do not earn my keep as a voice actor or artist, the small amount of work I have done in this field give me the ability to truly appreciate what a remarkable tool the Interactive IPA is. The variances in how we orally express our thoughts and communications is fascinating when we study and contemplate them beyond simply noticing a different accent or dialect. Dr. Meier has provided the user with the ability to listen to these variances in a way that informs and deepens the understanding of how we talk. I have enjoyed using this app as a means of exploration as well as a valuable tool to prepare for a role or voicing task.

This app by noted dialect/accent/Original Pronunciation and Shakespeare guru Paul Meier, fills a huge void-it’s the best and frankly, the only quality resource for this material on the iTunes store and I’ve used most of the other apps of this kind. It’s an essential tool for those requiring a portable reference of this material. The detailed presentation of all areas of the standard IPA chart is top-notch. An added bonus is the ability to compare British and American English in the diphthong section and the extensive presentation of diacritics-a critical feature in IPA transcription. There are many other resources by Paul on iTunes for actors/directors/coaches, etc., interested in dialects and accents of English. Do yourself a favor and check them out!

I am a voice, speech, and accent trainer that is quite rigorous with my college students when it comes to their understanding of phonetics. As the long-serving Director of Technology for VASTA (the Voice & Speech Trainers Association), I have always been happy to incorporate technology into my teaching. Of all the phonetics apps I have examined, this is the most inclusive of the many sounds and notations that make up the entirety of the International Phonetics Alphabet chart. It is extremely helpful for students of phonetics to learn the relation between the symbols and the sounds they represent. Though other reviewers have complained about sound issues, I have never had any type of issue. Thanks for an extremely helpful teaching tool

This is a well-constructed app - the mechanics of the app work quite well, just as I would hope, and the layout is useful and thought out. Paul is, deservedly, very well respected in the world of dialects for actors, so he is a very logical person to put together an app like this. He even goes into diphthongs and triphthongs, which are not included in the IPA's materials. You might find that you use some slight variations on the symbols he uses for these, but even if you do, it's still clear and very helpful. I'm telling my acting students about it! It's great for them to have this resource in their pockets; I'll be using it, too!

The best $3.99 I've spent in a long time! Paul Meier's Interactive IPA app is exactly what it says it is. Every chart created by the International Phonetic Association is comprehensively covered, with an audio file for every phoneme, diacritic, and suprasegmental--plus there's an added diph/triphthong chart for both American and UK pronunciations (just click on the flag for the chart to turn from one to the other). For actors in dialect/accent training as well as students in linguistics or SLP studies, this is an incredible tool to have ready at all times at their fingertips. My dialect and speech students love it and rely upon it for their transcription work. Well done!