After all, Americans learnt _part_ of the metric system

It’s not defeatism. There is a huge switching cost associated with these systems.with the exception of the metric system (which the US really should switch to) the costs outweigh the benefits.

I’m all for linguists and dictionaries using IPA, but to expect the general public to learn it isn’t realistic. People have better things to do.

Okay but if there is a little look-up table they don’t have to _learn_ it, per se, just refer to it. Doesn’t have to be IPA, whatever is easiest. If they can understand how to work a table they’ll be able to understand the pronunciation guide.

But if we really think that is fraught with trouble… I think the major confusion is likely to come from the vowels, so maybe my phonetic lookup table could just use the consonants as the input key. Of course this would mean the list of entries per input key would be larger.

Probably need separate versions for left and right pondia but what else is new?

You’re right about the metric system, get on board!

And now I’ve discovered W3C’s Pronunciation Lexicon Specification, so that should keep me out of trouble for a while.

You’re right about the metric system, get on board!

Whaddya mean? I’m a Canadian and metric now—at least for the next few years.