The International Phonetic Association (IPA) was created in 1886 to advance the scientific study of phonetics and the various practical applications of that science.

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a phonetic notation system devised and periodically updated by the International Phonetic Association. It uses symbols to represent each of the sounds that occur in spoken human language. The symbols are mostly based on the letters of the Latin alphabet (the alphabet used in English and many European languages), including modified versions of those letters; plus a few symbols drawn from other sources.

The IPA is my preferred notation system because it is inherently capable of precision, allowing its users to make (and read) detailed notes efficiently. It is the most widely used speech notation system, not only by performers and dialect coaches, but also by linguists, speech-language pathologists, lexicographers, and others.

Stoller System, LLC (notated in IPA)

If you don’t already know the IPA, I can teach it to you. I recommend it! Once learned, it will serve you for the rest of your life. But I can also help you work with other notation systems. The most important part of accent and dialect training is learning how to distinguish between different sounds when you hear them, and how to reproduce your target sounds accurately as needed. The IPA just happens to be a particularly good tool to help you get there. It isn’t the only tool we can use.

Last updated on October 29, 2010 by Amy Stoller