ɐ pˈɑːsᵻbəl lˈoʊkəl pɹˈæktɪs ʌv tˈeɪkɪŋ mˈɛʒɚmənts "fɹʌmðə bˈæk" ʌvðə wˈeɪv, ˈaɪ.ˈiː., fɹʌm mˈiːn sˈiː lˈɛvəl ɪn tˈɛknɪkəl tˈɜːmz, ʌv mˈɛʒɚɹɪŋ nˌɑːt ðə "pˈiːktəpˈiːk ˈæmplɪtˌuːd" ʌvðə wˈeɪv ɔːɹ ðə hˈaɪt ʌvðə wˈeɪvz fˈeɪs, ðə lˈæɾɚ ʌvwˈɪtʃ ɪz ɪŋkɹˈiːst baɪ ðə wˈeɪvz dɹˈɔːɪŋ wˈɔːɾɚ fɹʌm ɪn fɹˈʌnt ʌv ɪɾ æz ɪt bɹˈeɪks, bˌʌt ɹˈæðɚ ðə wˈeɪvz "sˈɛmaɪˈæmplɪtˌuːd" ɔːɹ "pˈiːk ˈæmplɪtˌuːd", ɔːɹ fɹʌm wˈeɪv bˈɔɪ ɹˈiːdɪŋz
A possible local practice of taking measurements "from the back" of the wave, i.e., from mean sea level (in technical terms, of measuring not the "peak-to-peak amplitude" of the wave or the height of the wave's face, the latter of which is increased by the wave's drawing water from in front of it as it breaks, but rather the wave's "semi-amplitude" or "peak amplitude"), or from wave buoy readings