Hello everyone,
One of the problems I have while reading articles on Wookieepedia, or novels, is knowing how to properly pronounce names/terms that sound foreign. Some articles seem to have an IPA key for pronouncing names, for example, the Legends article for Tiaan Jerjerrod.
IPA is too technical for casual readers and there's a learning curve before you are able to use it. Pronunciation spelled out phonetically would work a lot better. I was discussing this on #wookieepedia and ecks brought up the point that different editors may end up coming up with various pronunciation keys or phonic spellings to the same word.
A workaround to this problem would be to use audio clips found in films or audio books for the various terms/names that are alien or foreign sounding as a pronunciation clip. Wookieepedia already uses audio clips for quotes so the idea of using audio clips isn't new.
Providing correct pronunciations on Wookpieedia will help fans when discussing Star Wars in person. I propose for policies/writing styles to address pronunciation in the articles.
-Zoo (talk) 18:03, October 21, 2016 (UTC)
- I'm certainly not opposed to the idea of using audio clips. In fact, I've uploaded a number myself in the past. This could certainly be helpful. ProfessorTofty (talk) 23:42, October 21, 2016 (UTC)
- Can you list a few articles where you used audio clips of pronunciations so we can see how it may work? ---Zoo (talk) 16:39, October 24, 2016 (UTC)
- Often times, there isn't just one correct way to pronounce a certain character's name. Dave Filoni in particular has stated that different characters from different backgrounds may pronounce the same person's name differently (which he incorporated into The Clone Wars and in Rebels, as a result of hearing different fans pronounce certain character's name differently). An example of this is how Grand Admiral Thrawn pronounced the surnames names of Hera Syndulla and Cham Syndulla differently from the main cast. DarkKnight2149 17:42, October 24, 2016 (UTC)
- Another example of how Filoni incorporated this into the canon is how some characters will refer to the acronym for All Terrain Armored Transport as an "At At", while other characters will call it an "A. T. A. T." Filoni stated such at Star Wars Celebration 2016. DarkKnight2149 17:45, October 24, 2016 (UTC)
- I'm sorry, I should have been more specific. I merely meant that I've used audio clips in general before, so I understand how they can enhance an article. I haven't added any audio clips of pronunciations. ProfessorTofty (talk) 23:01, October 24, 2016 (UTC)
- I agree that the IPA is a poor choice for written pronunciations for a general audience. Audio clips are a good addition, but we should still have a written representation, too, to accommodate readers with limited hearing or audio-playback technology (or even just those reading an article in an environment where playing audio is not suitable). This could be either a phonetic spelling or one based on the pronunciation symbols commonly used in dictionaries. Asithol (talk) 03:57, October 25, 2016 (UTC)
- IPA is often used in dictionaries, though. I'm opposed to removing the IPA transcription, if any other version is added, it should be in addition to IPA, not instead of it. JagoAndLitefoot (talk) 03:58, October 29, 2016 (UTC)
- I personally support the IPA. While reading it is not common knowledge, I think it is by far the most common, professional, and consistent form of clarifying pronunciation, as it's also used in most dictionaries. I think while we want to appeal to a general audience, using IPA isn't too far a level up. One neat thing about Wikipedia and its offsprings is I think just reading them motivates people to learn and develop more academic skills. As well, besides most dictionaries, Wikipedia and Wiktionary also uses IPA. The method I think we absolutely should not use is pronunciation respelling, favored by virtually all school textbooks I have ever encountered and as an alternative to the IPA in most dictionaries. Pronunciation respelling is simply inconsistent, subject to individual interpretation of what is the best way to write out the syllables (which different people will always disagree with), and I have always, even in elementary school, found that unprofessional. Sol PacificusFirestorm 18:57, October 31, 2016 (UTC)
- IPA is not used in any major American dictionaries. Readers from other English-speaking regions may be familiar with it, but most American readers won't be, and we need to make our pronunciations comprehensible to the widest possible audience. One advantage of, say, Merriam-Webster's respelling system is that even if you've never encountered it before, a lot of it is deducible. That is far from true with IPA. Respelling systems may be less robust than IPA, but more of our readership will understand them. Hopefully someday Wikipedia and Wiktionary's use of IPA will lead to a better general knowledge of it, but that day is a few years off yet. Asithol (talk) 02:31, November 24, 2016 (UTC)
- I personally support the IPA. While reading it is not common knowledge, I think it is by far the most common, professional, and consistent form of clarifying pronunciation, as it's also used in most dictionaries. I think while we want to appeal to a general audience, using IPA isn't too far a level up. One neat thing about Wikipedia and its offsprings is I think just reading them motivates people to learn and develop more academic skills. As well, besides most dictionaries, Wikipedia and Wiktionary also uses IPA. The method I think we absolutely should not use is pronunciation respelling, favored by virtually all school textbooks I have ever encountered and as an alternative to the IPA in most dictionaries. Pronunciation respelling is simply inconsistent, subject to individual interpretation of what is the best way to write out the syllables (which different people will always disagree with), and I have always, even in elementary school, found that unprofessional. Sol PacificusFirestorm 18:57, October 31, 2016 (UTC)
- IPA is often used in dictionaries, though. I'm opposed to removing the IPA transcription, if any other version is added, it should be in addition to IPA, not instead of it. JagoAndLitefoot (talk) 03:58, October 29, 2016 (UTC)
- I agree that the IPA is a poor choice for written pronunciations for a general audience. Audio clips are a good addition, but we should still have a written representation, too, to accommodate readers with limited hearing or audio-playback technology (or even just those reading an article in an environment where playing audio is not suitable). This could be either a phonetic spelling or one based on the pronunciation symbols commonly used in dictionaries. Asithol (talk) 03:57, October 25, 2016 (UTC)
- I'm sorry, I should have been more specific. I merely meant that I've used audio clips in general before, so I understand how they can enhance an article. I haven't added any audio clips of pronunciations. ProfessorTofty (talk) 23:01, October 24, 2016 (UTC)
- Another example of how Filoni incorporated this into the canon is how some characters will refer to the acronym for All Terrain Armored Transport as an "At At", while other characters will call it an "A. T. A. T." Filoni stated such at Star Wars Celebration 2016. DarkKnight2149 17:45, October 24, 2016 (UTC)
- Often times, there isn't just one correct way to pronounce a certain character's name. Dave Filoni in particular has stated that different characters from different backgrounds may pronounce the same person's name differently (which he incorporated into The Clone Wars and in Rebels, as a result of hearing different fans pronounce certain character's name differently). An example of this is how Grand Admiral Thrawn pronounced the surnames names of Hera Syndulla and Cham Syndulla differently from the main cast. DarkKnight2149 17:42, October 24, 2016 (UTC)
- Can you list a few articles where you used audio clips of pronunciations so we can see how it may work? ---Zoo (talk) 16:39, October 24, 2016 (UTC)