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A client asks me to proofread word lists and add the phonetic transcriptions to the words
Thread poster: Lucia Boccadoro
Lucia Boccadoro
Lucia Boccadoro
Italy
Local time: 04:58
English
Nov 12, 2008

Checking the correctness of the translated words is the easy part. It's the second part of the question that keeps me busy. Not many people are able to phonetically transcribe words using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), in fact most of the translators we work with don't know anything about it. Who do you typically turn to if you need this type of job done? In this particular case we're talking about Italian-Rumanian and Italian-Arab word lists.

[Edited at 2008-11-12 15:39]
<... See more
Checking the correctness of the translated words is the easy part. It's the second part of the question that keeps me busy. Not many people are able to phonetically transcribe words using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), in fact most of the translators we work with don't know anything about it. Who do you typically turn to if you need this type of job done? In this particular case we're talking about Italian-Rumanian and Italian-Arab word lists.

[Edited at 2008-11-12 15:39]

[Edited at 2008-11-12 15:53] ▲ Collapse
 
Angela Dickson (X)
Angela Dickson (X)  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:58
French to English
+ ...
Depends Nov 12, 2008

If this were English or French, I'd do it myself (and get an old friend who is still working in linguistics to check it). I know someone who could probably do Romanian, but not Arabic - a useful place to start would probably be your nearest university linguistics department, who might be able to put you in touch with someone suitable. This is what I'd do, if I needed someone to provide phonetic transcriptions for Arabic.
 
FarkasAndras
FarkasAndras  Identity Verified
Local time: 04:58
English to Hungarian
+ ...
Dictionary Nov 12, 2008

Just copy the IPA transcription from a good dictionary. I'd try and find an online dictionary that has pronounciation and copy/paste from there.

Add an accompanying document describing the pronounciation of the symbols (that'd usually be half a sentence on what kind of a sound it is and then 3 examples of words that have it), or a link to audio of each.
I'm not going to google it for you but it seems more than likely that there is a readily available mp3 file somewhere on the ... See more
Just copy the IPA transcription from a good dictionary. I'd try and find an online dictionary that has pronounciation and copy/paste from there.

Add an accompanying document describing the pronounciation of the symbols (that'd usually be half a sentence on what kind of a sound it is and then 3 examples of words that have it), or a link to audio of each.
I'm not going to google it for you but it seems more than likely that there is a readily available mp3 file somewhere on the net.
If you have a dictionary with a decent list, use that.

The above would apply to English, not sure about Italian and Arabic dictionaries/traditions. ▲ Collapse
 
Stuart Dowell
Stuart Dowell  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 04:58
Member (2007)
Polish to English
+ ...
Linguists Nov 12, 2008

I would say you should contact anyone who has studied Romanian or Arabic linguistics, as opposed to someone whose simply attended foreign languages classes in those languages.
 
nordiste
nordiste  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 04:58
English to French
+ ...
what kind of phonetic transcription ? Nov 12, 2008

Edwin Scharroo wrote:

Checking the correctness of the translated words is the easy part. It's the second part of the question that keeps me busy. Not many people are able to phonetically transcribe words using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), in fact most of the translators we work with don't know anything about it. Who do you typically turn to if you need this type of job done? In this particular case we're talking about Italian-Rumanian and Italian-Arab word lists.

[Edited at 2008-11-12 15:39]

[Edited at 2008-11-12 15:53]


Are you sure that your client wants IPA ?

I remember translating an English word list for a French technician, and he wanted me to transcribe them "as in French" ; in fact he wanted to "be able to say these words" although he did not speak English at all (neither did he know IPA of course). He wanted to discuss some technical issue with an English supplier...

This is the same kind of transcription you find in some books, "French for travellers" and the like.


[Edited at 2008-11-12 19:40]
 


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A client asks me to proofread word lists and add the phonetic transcriptions to the words







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