English Phonotypic Alphabet


The English Phonotypic Alphabet is a phonetic alphabet developed by Sir Isaac Pitman and Alexander John Ellis originally as an English language spelling reform. Although never gaining wide acceptance, elements of it were incorporated into the modern International Phonetic Alphabet.
It was originally published in June 1845. Subsequently, adaptations were published which extended the alphabet to the German, Arabic, Spanish, Tuscan, French, Welsh, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese and Sanskrit languages.

Letters

The letters are as follows

Late 1843 (English)

At this stage, long vowels had a cross-bar, and short vowels did not
;Long vowels
Ɨ /iː/, E /eɪ/, A /ɑː/, Ɵ /ɔː/, Ʉ /oʊ/?, ꭐ-bar /uː/
;Short vowels
I /ɪ/, ? /ɛ/, Ʌ /æ/, O /ɒ/, U /ʌ/, ꭐ /ʊ/
;Diphthongs
Ɯ /juː/, Y /aɪ/, Ȣ /aʊ/?
;Reduced vowels
Ǝ /ə/, ? /ᵊ/
;Consonants
P B, T D, Є J /tʃ dʒ/, K G
F V, Θ Δ /θ ð/, S Z, Σ Σ /ʃ ʒ/,
L R, M N, И /ŋ/, Y W H.

1845

1855