International Phonetic Alphabet

There are literally thousands of different languages across the entire globe, each with its own alphabet, sentence structure, vocabulary, and pronunciation techniques.  For centuries people have sought to combine all languages into one universal language so that all the people of the earth could easily communicate with one another.  The International Phonetic Alphabet accomplishes this goal.

Purpose & History of the IPA

Borrowing from the Latin language, the IPA focuses on providing a symbol for each particular sound in all languages.  In its inception in 1886, the International Phonetic Alphabet originally had each symbol qualifying as a different sound in each alphabet.  For instance the “ʃ“ symbol stands for the sh in shout.  Originally, it stood for the English “c” and the “x” in French.  Upon noticing the complexities of a single symbol standing for another sound in multiple languages, Paul Passy, a French linguist and a group of his fellow peers established a revision of the IPA in 1888 to make a uniform set of symbols to be used in all languages. After many substantial revisions, today there are 107 symbols that represent consonants and vowels, 31 symbols stand for diacritics, which help specify these sounds even further, and 19 symbols are used to help indicate tone, stress, intonation, and length of sounds. The most recent revision took place in May 2005, most notably with the addition of the labiodental flap, whereby the bottom lip is placed behind the upper teeth and then “flapped” outwards, making a specific sound.  This sound is used mostly in African languages.  Over the last century, most revisions contained changes in organization of the alphabet, changes in the typeface of certain symbols, and the addition or subtraction of symbols when a sound became necessary or irrelevant.

 

Usage of the IPA

Although the IPA is meant to combine all languages in one uniform language of sounds and symbols, its usage today is very particular to one main group of professionals.  Linguists use the IPA the most to help learn the etymology of a word or to teach specific sounds and languages to new learners of a language. Due to the complexity of the IPA, it is difficult for an individual to memorize all of the symbols, learn the names for specific sounds, and learn how the sounds may be used, especially when the sounds may not be used in their native language.  This is one reason for its limited use. Aside from linguistic professionals, the IPA has been utilized for the development of dictionaries, such as the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary and the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.  It has also been used to help opera and classical singers learn how to pronounce words written in foreign languages.

The International Phonetic Alphabet

The International Phonetic Alphabet contains 107 pulmonic, non-pulmonic, and co-articulated consonants.  These characters are all listed on the following chart. The consonants are broken down into these categories based on how they are used and when they are used.  Next, vowels are listed in the alphabet in a chart showing front to back and close to open.  Suprasegmentals are included in the alphabet that show the symbols used to express the sounds that are used for a particular stress put on a letter or sound as well as the tone used within different sounds.  Finally, diacritics are the last section of the alphabet that specific odd sounds such as nasal sounds or syllables that are unable to qualify in another category.  Think of diacritics as the “etcetera” category.

All of the symbols are in large part based on the Latin or Greek alphabets, and some symbols have even been created or reversed from other symbols for easy remembrance or use.  Each symbol fits into a specific category and helps specific a specific sound.  The uniformity of the IPA is quite fascinating and makes the language very special.  Unfortunately, it is not widely utilized as much as the founders would have liked, and the world is still in search of that simple language that unites the world.