CA-CLAN uses these non-standard functions:

Fields that extend CA include:

Here is a summary of CA symbols, as derived from Appendix 1 to Atkinson, J., & Heritage, J. (Eds.). (1984). Structures of social action: Studies in conversation analysis. New York: Cambridge University Press. This table includes recent clarifications provided by Charles Goodwin, Tim Koschmann, and Curtis LeBaron.

Function

 

older CA

CHAT-CA

Description

Overlap

 

lines inserted by drawing

⌈first⌉

⌊second⌋

Four symbols for beginning of first, end of first, beginning of second, and end of second.

Quick uptake

 

=word

≈word

A double wavy equal sign before a word that is not at the beginning of a turn indicates no break in an ongoing piece of talk where one might otherwise expect it.

Latching

 

=word

text ≋

+≋ text

The triple wavy indicates a break in the transcription of an utterance for the technical purpose of clearly displaying overlapping.

Timed pause

 

(1.8)

same

Silence measured in seconds.Longer pauses are placed on their own separate line.

Micropause

 

(.)

same

A timed pause of less than 0.2 seconds that is also placed on its own separate line.

Emphasis

 

!

same

Conclusion of a TCU delivered with emphatic and animated tone.

Halt, Cutoff

 

word-

same

An abrupt glottal halt during production of a word.

Lengthening

 

wo::rd

same

Lengthening of a segment in a word.

Continuation

 

 ,

→

Indicates a continuing intonation.

Conclusion

 

 .

⇘

Indicates a falling pitch or intonational contour at the conclusion of a TCU.

Question

 

 ?

⇗

Rising vocal pitch or intonational contour at the conclusion of a TCU.

Final rise

 

 

↗

Rising, but not to top.

Final fall

 

;

↘

Falling, but not to bottom.

Initial shift up

 

↑

same

Shift to high pitch.

Initial shift down

 

↓

same

Shift to low pitch.

Faster

 

> text <

∆text∆

Speech delivered faster than surrounding material.

Slower

 

< text >

∇text∇

Speech delivered slower than surrounding material.

Softer

 

°text°

same

Speech produced more softly than surrounding talk.

Louder

 

CAPS

same

Speech delivered more loudly than surrounding talk.

Stress

 

text

same

Underscoring indicates stress on a word, syllable, or sound.

Laugh, breath

 

hhh

same

Audible expulsion of breath (linguistic aspiration) as in laughter, sighing, etc.

Inhalation

 

.hhh

same

Audible inhalation is marked with a preceding dot.

Unclear

 

(text)

<text> [?]

Text enclosed in parentheses represents transcribed talk for which doubt exists.

Untranscribed

 

(  )

xxx

Empty parentheses represent untranscribed talk or unknown speaker. The talk may be untranscribed because the transcriber cannot get what was said.

Comments

 

((  ))

&=comment

Comments and annotations of any type, including descriptions and asides, with the text in italics.

Possible talk

 

(0)

zzz

There may or may not be talk in the designated area.

High pitch

 

-

▔text▔

High pitch throughout.

Low pitch

 

-

▁text▁

Low pitch throughout.

Smile voice

 

£

☺text☺

Smile voice.

Creaky voice

 

* text *

same

Material delivered in a creaky voice. In the Jefferson Nixon transcripts, asterisks following consonants are used to mark hardening.

Unrecognizable

 

xxx

same

Unrecognizable material.

Rarer Symbols:

 

 

 

 

Laugh pulse

 

¢

not used

Pulse of laughter.

Plosiveness

 

(h)

not used

Plosiveness associated with laughter, crying, breathlessness, etc.

Umlaut

 

för

not used

Used in the Jefferson Nixon transcripts. In this example, shows that the word "for" was pronounced as "for" and not "fer". Also used by Jefferson as a hardener or softener on vowels.

Gutturalness

 

wghord

not used

Gutturalness.