The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a system of phonetic notation designed to represent the sounds of spoken language. It provides a standardized set of symbols that correspond to specific sounds, or phonemes, found in various languages. This allows linguists, language teachers, and students to accurately transcribe and study pronunciation across different languages. The IPA was created in the 19th century by the International Phonetic Association to facilitate the study of phonetics and improve communication about speech sounds. Each symbol in the IPA corresponds to a particular sound, making it easier to learn and compare languages. It is widely used in linguistic research, language education, and speech therapy.