Phonemic Inventories and Cultural and Linguistic Information Across Languages

Languages across the world have unique phonemic systems. For individuals learning English as a second language, it is common for the phonemic system of their first language to influence the production of sounds in English.

Resources listed below are intended to contribute to foundational awareness of potential cultural and linguistic influences. There are variations within cultures, and regional and dialectal variances exist in all languages. Therefore, a single chart/page on cultural and/or linguistic features is not meant to provide a comprehensive overview. Clinical judgment, client/patient/student and caregiver input, and additional research are needed to ensure culturally responsive services.

How Can I Use This Information?

Speech-language pathologists can use this information to:

• Identify sounds in a client's phonological system for languages other than English.
• Determine phonemic influences of a client's native language on English.
• Identify sounds from the client's first language that may not exist in English or identify sounds in English that do not exist in someone's native language.
• Recognize that even if there are similar sounds across two languages, they may not be used the same way. For example, in some languages a sound may only be used at the ends of words and not as a word-initial sound.

Audiologists can use this information to:

• Correlate the client's audiogram and the sounds of the client's language(s).
• Recognize and respond to amplification needs.
• Identify the effect of the individual's phonemic system on speech audiometry assessment.
• Modify materials and procedures during speech audiometry assessment.

Phonemic Inventories and Cultural and Linguistic Information

ASHA has compiled resources on the phonemic systems for the following languages:

Amharic

• Amharic Phonemic Inventory
• Predicted Influences of Amharic on Spoken English: Clinical Implications [PDF]
• Amharic (Ethiopia) (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)

Arabic

• Arabic Phonemic Inventory [PDF] 
• Arabic (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)
• Refugees from Iraq [PDF]

Bosnian

• Bosnian (MustGo Travel)

Burmese

• Burmese Phonemic Inventory
• Refugees from Burma [PDF]
• Burmese (Myanmar) (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)

Chinese

• Cantonese Phonemic Inventory [PDF]
• Cantonese (Hong Kong) (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)
• Mandarin Phonemic Inventory [PDF]
• Mandarin Linguistic Features
• Mandarin vs. English Consonants
• Mandarin (China and Taiwan) (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)

English 

• African American English: Nature, Origin and Implications for Clinicians [PDF]
• African American Vernacular English (AAVE) (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)
• Chicano English (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)
• General American English Phonemic Inventory [PDF]

Haitian Creole 

• Haitian Creole (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)
• Haitian Creole (MustGo)

Hebrew

• Hebrew (MustGo)
• Hebrew Phonetic Inventory

Hindi/Urdu 

• Hindi (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)
• Urdu Linguistic Features
• Hindi-Urdu vs. English Consonants

Hmong

• Phonetic Inventory of the Mong Leng [PDF]
• Hmong (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)
• ​Information about the Hmong Language (Asian Pacific Islander Speech-Language-Hearing Caucus)
• Hmong Speech and Language Development (Bilinguistics)

Japanese

• Japanese (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)

Korean

• Korean Phonemic Inventory [PDF]
• Korean (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)

Navajo

• Navajo Sound Profile (University of New Mexico)
• Navajo (MustGo)

Pashto and Persian

• Afghan Backgrounder
• Pashto (Afghanistan) (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)
• Farsi/Persian (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)
• Dari (Afghanistan) (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)

Polish

• Polish Linguistic Features
• Polish vs. English Consonants
• Polish (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)

Portuguese

• Portuguese (MustGo)
• Portuguese (Speech Accent Archive)
• Portuguese Speech and Language Development (Bilinguistics)

Russian

• Russian and English Speech Sounds [PDF]
• Russian (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)

Spanish

• Spanish Phonemic Inventory [PDF]
• The Cubans [PDF, 7.1MB]
• Cuban Spanish (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)
• Latin America Spanish ("Standard") (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)
• Puerto Rican Spanish (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)
• Spanish Linguistic Features
• Spanish vs. English Consonants
• Spanish (Mexican) (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)

Somali

• Somali (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)

Tagalog

• Filipino – Tagalog Speech and Language Development (Bilinguistics)
• Tagalog (Filipino) (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)
• Tagalog (MustGo)

Vietnamese

• Vietnamese Phonemic Inventory [PDF]
• Vietnamese (MABS Lab at University of St. Augustine)

Yiddish

• Yiddish (MustGo)
• Yiddish Phonetic Inventory

Refugee Profiles/Information

• About Refugee Populations
• Refugee Populations in Schools

ASHA's policy documents state that audiologists and SLPs must consider the sound systems of all the languages used by a client in order to provide appropriate assessment and treatment services. 

If you have any questions, please contact ASHA's Office of Multicultural Affairs at multicultural@asha.org.