$out_word = convert_ios_text( $cur_word);

---------------

  function convert_ios_text( $curw)
  {
    $inw = str_split( $curw);
    $nw = "";
    $wlen = strlen( $inw);

    $j = 0;
    $k = 0;

    while( $k < $wlen)
    {
        switch( $inw[$k])
      {
        case '{': $nw = $nw.'<span class="contr">';
                  break;

        case '}': $nw = $nw.'</span>';
                break;

        case '%': $k++;

                  if( $inw[$k]=='d')      # eth
                  {
                    $nw = $nw.'&#x00f0;';
                  }

                  if( $inw[$k]=='s')      # esszet
                  {
                    $nw = $nw.'&#x00df;';
                  }

                  if( $inw[$k]=='y')      # thorn
                  {
                    $nw = $nw.'&#x00fe;';
                  }

                  if( $inw[$k]=='z')      # yogh
                  {
                    $nw = $nw.'&#x0292;';
                  }

                  if( $inw[$k]=='"')      # umlaut
                  {
                    %k++;
                    $nw = $nw.$inw[$k].'&#x0308';
                  }
                  break;

       case '"':  if( $k==0)              # initial quotation mark
                  {
                    $nw = $nw.'&#x2018';
                  }

                  if( $k==$wlen)          # hook back
                  {
                    $nw = $nw.'&#x0315;'; # combining inverted breve
                  }
                  break;

       case '\'': $nw = $nw.'&#x2019';    # closing quote mark or apostrophe
                  break;

       case '~':  $nw = $nw.'&#x0311';    # horizontal stroke
                  break;

        default : $nw = $nw.$inw[$k];
                  break;

      }
      $k++;
    }
    return $nw;
  }