The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) was invented in the nineteenth century in an effort to standardize the pronunciation of spoken language. A noble mission, IPA has since become—to put it lightly—the bane of every singer’s undergraduate and graduate study existence. IPA is a tool which wields great power for opera singers and recitalists who have to sing in German, French, Italian, and British, American, and Mid-Atlantic English, among others. However, until the singer becomes a true IPA master, this daunting alphabet can serve as the source of much confusion and many tears of frustration…

Which is precisely why we’ve devised this “fun” IPA quiz just for you opera singers! Prove whether you know your sibilant [s] from your voiced [z] and show us who the true master of IPA really is.

(Correct IPA transcriptions sourced from IPA Source, a phenomenal resource for singers.)