# Phonetic Transcriptions



## roxcyn

Is it possible to have them for all languages such as Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, French, and English?  I don't see them anywhere in the WR dictionaries.  Thanks.


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## Whodunit

roxcyn said:
			
		

> Is it possible to have them for all languages such as Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, French, and English? I don't see them anywhere in the WR dictionaries. Thanks.


 
We already have it for English, as far as I know. You have to be a bit patient, because it's not easy to include IPA and pronunciation files for each entry.


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## mkellogg

Sound files for many words are coming soon, but phonetic transriptions are a bit more difficult unfortunately.


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## roxcyn

The Chicago University Dictionary in Spanish has phonetic transcriptions in Spanish

There are some dictionaries that have the Italian phonetics and I am sure there are some with Portuguese too

So couldn't you use those dictionaries to type the phonetics?


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## timpeac

roxcyn said:
			
		

> The Chicago University Dictionary in Spanish has phonetic transcriptions in Spanish
> 
> There are some dictionaries that have the Italian phonetics and I am sure there are some with Portuguese too
> 
> So couldn't you use those dictionaries to type the phonetics?


Erm, I know zilch about copyright - but I suspect it may not allow copying of large sections of other dictionaries (moral implications aside).


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## mkellogg

Yes, I would say that copying phonetic transcriptions directly from another dictionary is illegal.  There is no sense getting the site shut down for something like that.


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## jester.

But shouldn't it be the same in all dictionaries?


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## timpeac

j3st3r said:
			
		

> But shouldn't it be the same in all dictionaries?


Pretty much - but someone still has to write out all the words, so either you do that yourself or pay someone who has already done it to copy theirs.

Let me give you another example. You spend a lot of time creating a map of a town. Can I just copy it without paying you because the details should be the same in any map? Of course not, I either do it myself or I pay you to copy yours.


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## jester.

OK, I have to say that my experiences with phonetic transcriptions are very limited, but:

with regard to the example about maps, I think that two maps of one place can look quite different.

On the other hand, two transcriptions, if they use the same transcription system, should be absolutely identic, shouldn't they?

So I think that nobody could tell whether or not WR stole the transcriptions. Am I mistaken?

Of course I do not wish to encourage stealing transcriptions from other dictionaries.


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## timpeac

j3st3r said:
			
		

> So I think that nobody could tell whether or not WR stole the transcriptions. Am I mistaken?


How is this relevant to a discussion about what is legally and morally acceptable?

Anyhow - I don't think phonetic transcription is completely black and white, there are still some arbitrary areas. Also, owners of such information protect themselves in other ways, such as putting deliberate errors in their work so they can see if they are copied.


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## jester.

timpeac said:
			
		

> How is this relevant to a discussion about what is legally and morally acceptable?


 It is not  I just asked out of sheer curiosity.



> Anyhow - I don't think phonetic transcription is completely black and white, there are still some arbitrary areas. Also, owners of such information protect themselves in other ways, such as putting deliberate errors in their work so they can see if they are copied.


 Thanks. I was looking for an explanation like this. I am neither an expert in copyright nor in phonetic transcription


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