Phonetic symbols are special characters used to represent the sounds of speech. They are part of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), which provides a consistent way to transcribe the pronunciation of words from any language. Each symbol corresponds to a specific sound, making it easier to understand how to pronounce words correctly. These symbols help linguists, language learners, and teachers communicate about pronunciation without confusion. For example, the symbol /p/ represents the sound of the letter "p" in English words like "pat" or "spat." By using phonetic symbols, people can accurately convey how words are spoken, regardless of their spelling.