Metaphone Calculator

Genealogy Calculators:

Metaphone Calculator

Compare the Metaphone Code for Two Surnames

Metaphone Calculator for Genealogy Search

• RootsWeb Surname List
• RootsWeb SSDI (Social Security Death Index)
• RootsWeb World Connect

How the Metaphone Search Works

• If surname sound-alike names might start with different letters such as K and C.
• If surname begins with a silent letter such a KN, PF, or WR.
• If surname has any of the letters C,S,G,J,K,Q,X,Z on both sides of the letter H or W such as SHC, SHS, CHS, KHZ, SWS, KWS, CWK.  There is some confusion about the way soundex calculates these names.

When you are searching a genealogy database, check that drop-down box to see if a metaphone search is offered.  You never know who you may be missing in a genealogy database until you try all the search options.


Metaphone Rules
Metaphone uses the following rules:

• Doubled letters except "c" -> drop 2nd letter.
• Vowels are only kept when they are the first letter.

• B -> B   unless at the end of a word after "m" as in "dumb"
  

• C -> X    (sh) if -cia- or -ch-
       S   if -ci-, -ce- or -cy-
       K   otherwise, including -sch-
  

• D -> J   if in -dge-, -dgy- or -dgi-
       T   otherwise
  

• F -> F
  

• G ->     silent if in -gh- and not at end or before a vowel
           in -gn- or -gned- (also see dge etc. above)
       J   if before i or e or y if not double gg
       K   otherwise
  

• H ->     silent if after vowel and no vowel follows
       H   otherwise
  

• J -> J
  

• K ->     silent if after "c"
       K   otherwise
  

• L -> L   
  

• M -> M
  

• N -> N
  

• P -> F   if before "h"
       P   otherwise
  

• Q -> K
  

• R -> R
  

• S -> X   (sh) if before "h" or in -sio- or -sia-
       S   otherwise
  

• T -> X   (sh) if -tia- or -tio-
       0   (th) if before "h"
           silent if in -tch-
       T   otherwise
  

• V -> F
  

• W ->     silent if not followed by a vowel
       W   if followed by a vowel
  

• X -> KS
  

• Y ->     silent if not followed by a vowel
       Y   if followed by a vowel
  

• Z -> S 
  

Initial Letter Exceptions

Initial  kn-, gn- pn, ae- or wr-      -> drop first letter
Initial  x-                           -> change to "s"
Initial  wh-                          -> change to "w"