IPA - International Phonetic Alphabet

The International Phonetic Alphabet is the alphabetic system of phonetic notation used to transcribe the sound of speech that is independent of any particular language. The system was first introduced in 1888 by the International Phonetic Association in Paris, France.

The IPA only defines those qualities of the speech that are part of the oral language. For additional qualities, other set of symbols may be used which are known as "Extensions to the IPA". The phonetic script for English was introduced way back in 1847 which was used as a model for IPA.

The IPA phonetic notation has been widely used in dictionaries to represent the pronunciation of words.

It could be understood with a simple example in which a sentence written in English is converted into IPA :-
English: Hi, how are you?
IPA: haj, haw ɑr ju?

Another example:-
English: Meet me at 10 in the morning.
IPA: mit mi æt 10 ɪn ðə mɔrnɪŋ

Also See: Full Form of IPA file in Apple iOS