The International Phonetic Association (IPA) is an organization founded in 1886 that aims to promote the study and teaching of phonetics. It provides a standardized system for representing the sounds of spoken language through the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), which allows linguists, language teachers, and students to accurately transcribe and analyze speech sounds from any language. The IPA's alphabet includes symbols for consonants, vowels, and suprasegmental features like stress and intonation. This system is widely used in linguistics, language education, and speech therapy, facilitating clear communication about pronunciation across different languages and dialects.