Phonetic notation is a system used to visually represent the sounds of spoken language. It helps linguists, language learners, and researchers accurately capture how words are pronounced, regardless of the writing system used in a particular language. The most common form of phonetic notation is the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), which assigns unique symbols to each distinct sound. By using phonetic notation, people can understand the pronunciation of words without ambiguity. This is especially useful for languages with complex sound systems or for teaching pronunciation to non-native speakers. Overall, phonetic notation serves as a valuable tool for studying and teaching languages.