What is the International Phonetic Alphabet?
Quick answer
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a standardized system of symbols that represents the sounds of human speech, one symbol per sound, in any language. It was created by the International Phonetic Association, founded in Paris in 1886. Dictionaries use it to show pronunciation, such as /ˈwɔːtər/ for “water.”
Why it was needed
Ordinary spelling is a poor guide to sound. In English, the letters “ough” are pronounced differently in though, through, tough, cough and bough. The IPA solves this with a simple rule: each symbol stands for exactly one sound, and each sound has exactly one symbol.
Some IPA symbols for English
| Symbol | Sound | As in |
|---|---|---|
| ʃ | sh | ship /ʃɪp/ |
| θ | th (soft) | think /θɪŋk/ |
| ð | th (voiced) | this /ðɪs/ |
| ŋ | ng | sing /sɪŋ/ |
| ʒ | zh | measure /ˈmɛʒər/ |
| ə | “uh” (schwa) | about /əˈbaʊt/ |
| ˈ | Stress mark | Comes before the stressed syllable |
The schwa (ə) is the most common vowel sound in English.
How the IPA is organized
- Consonants are arranged in a chart by where in the mouth they’re made (lips, teeth, throat) and how (stopped, hissed, through the nose).
- Vowels are placed on a chart shaped like the inside of the mouth, by tongue height and position.
- Diacritics, small marks added to letters, show fine details like nasal sounds or length.
The full alphabet has more than 100 letters, enough to describe click sounds in Zulu, tones in Mandarin and the throat sounds of Arabic.
Who uses it
Linguists, language learners, actors learning accents, speech therapists and singers. Most major dictionaries print IPA, and Wikipedia uses it for difficult names.
Not to be confused with…
The NATO phonetic alphabet (Alfa, Bravo, Charlie…) is a different thing: code words used to spell letters clearly over the radio.
For tips on saying difficult names, see how to pronounce names.
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