IPA

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is not a spoken language but a system of symbols for writing the sounds of any language. It is used worldwide by linguists, language teachers and students, speech therapists, singers, actors, and dictionary makers.
The IPA was created in 1888 by the International Phonetic Association, founded in France by language teachers including Paul Passy. It is based mainly on the Roman alphabet, with added letters and marks, so that each symbol stands for exactly one sound. It has been revised several times and is the standard way of showing pronunciation in many dictionaries and textbooks.