IPA Transcription Software
Phonetic transcription that lives inside every app you use
IPAtics is installable software for macOS and Windows. Select any text, press Alt+Q, and the IPA appears in a floating overlay — in your PDF reader, your browser, your subtitles, your chat. No tab to paste into, no copy-pasting.
Free tier, no card required. macOS & Windows.
Why software, not another browser tab
A web converter is a page you visit. To use it you copy text out of whatever you are reading, switch tabs, paste, read the result, then switch back. Do that for the third unfamiliar word on a page and the friction wins — you stop looking things up.
Transcription software removes the tab entirely. IPAtics registers a system-wide hotkey, so the IPA comes to you instead. Select a word in a PDF, a browser article, a subtitle track, or a chat message, press Alt+Q, and the overlay opens in place. You never break your reading flow.
That difference compounds. The web tool is a lookup; the app is a habit you can run hundreds of times a day without thinking about it.
Everything in one overlay
Not a transcriber bolted onto a web form — a full pronunciation workflow that opens wherever you are reading.
System-wide Alt+Q overlay
Select text in any application, press Alt+Q (Option+Q on Mac), and the IPA appears in a floating overlay right where you are reading. No tab-switching, no copy-pasting.
Tap-a-symbol phoneme tooltips
Tap any IPA symbol in the overlay to see its phonetic name and example words. The transcription becomes something you can actually read, not just stare at.
Native text-to-speech audio
Every transcription comes with native-quality audio, so you read the phonetics and hear the word at the same moment.
AI-generated Anki cards
Turn a saved word into review-ready flashcards — six card types, calibrated to your CEFR level and synced to Anki through the free AnkiConnect add-on.
Phoneme-level speech analysis
Speak the word and get feedback at the level of individual phonemes, so you know exactly which sound to fix.
14 language varieties
English (US & UK), German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Russian, Turkish, and Arabic — with auto-detect on by default.
Web converter vs IPAtics software
Both have a place. Pick the one that matches how often you actually do this.
A free web converter
- Perfect for a quick one-off — paste a few words, read the IPA, done
- Nothing to install; works on any machine with a browser
- You copy text out, switch tabs, paste, then switch back
- Best when you only need it now and then
IPAtics software
- System-wide hotkey works inside every app — no copy-pasting
- Tap-a-symbol tooltips, native audio, AI Anki cards, speech analysis
- Saved words and review across your devices
- Built for daily, in-context, unlimited use
Free tier included; Premium unlocks unlimited use on up to 3 devices.
How it works
Install IPAtics
A free download for macOS and Windows. It runs quietly in the background and registers the global hotkey.
Select any text and press Alt+Q
In a PDF, a browser, a subtitle, or a chat. IPAtics auto-detects the language and shows the IPA in a floating overlay, right where you are reading. Option+Q on Mac.
Hear it, learn it, save it
Play native audio, tap any symbol for its phonetic name, save the word, and generate Anki cards or run speech analysis — all without leaving the page.
Weighing the trade-offs? Read online vs desktop IPA tools and the guide to the best IPA transcription tools.
Frequently asked questions
Put IPA one keystroke away
Free for macOS and Windows. See how IPAtics works end to end, or compare it to other tools.