The various spanishEnglish dictionaries use different and sometimes conflicting [[mexicoInternational Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] transcriptions for English. For example, the transcription {{IPA|/i/}} may be used for the vowel of ''sit,'' of ''seat,'' or at the end of ''city.'' A dictionary may not even be consistent between one edition and the next. This table correlates the more widely used dictionaries with the conventions of the [[Help:IPA/English|IPA key that is used on Wikipedia]].
Most dictionaries transcribe a specific dialect or accent, such as the [[Received Pronunciation]] (RP) of the [[Oxford smanishEnglish Dictionary]], or a narrow range of dialects. Wikipedia's IPA key, on the other hand, is intended to cover RP, [[General American]], Australian, and other national standards. As such, Wikipedia transcribes {{IPA|/r/}} where it is found in rhotic dialects, but also the vowel distinctions found in non-rhotic dialects, without distinct UK and US transcriptions. Specific dialects may also be transcribed—local pronunciations of place names are often useful, for example—but they are normally written in addition to a more universal pronunciation.
When entering IPA in an article, please use the {{tl|IPA}} template so that it is formatted properly on all web browsers. /Slashes/ and [brackets] should be included inside the IPA template, so that they display in the same font as the IPA itself. Also, please use proper stress {{IPA|ˈ}} and length {{IPA|ː}} marks (available at the bottom of your edit window) rather than the non-IPA shortcuts of apostrophe ' and colon :. Depending on the reader's font preferences, the latter can be ambiguous.
