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| Abbreviation | IPA |
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| Formation | 1886; 139 years ago (1886) |
| Founder | Paul Passy |
| Type | Private company limited by guarantee |
| Purpose | Scientific study ofphonetics |
| Headquarters | 24 Holborn Viaduct, London, England |
Official language | None by law[1]Englishde facto[2] |
President | Katerina Nicolaidis |
Key people | |
Main organ | Journal of the International Phonetic Association |
| Website | International Phonetic Association |
TheInternational Phonetic Association (IPA;French:Association phonétique internationale[asɔsjɑsjɔ̃fɔnetikɛ̃tɛʁnɑsjɔnal],API) is an organization that promotes the scientific study ofphonetics and the various practical applications of that science. The IPA's major contribution to phonetics is theInternational Phonetic Alphabet—a notational standard for the phonetic representation of all languages. The acronym IPA refers to both the association and the alphabet. On 30 June 2015, it was incorporated as a Britishprivate company limited by guarantee.[3][4]
The IPA also oversees theJournal of the International Phonetic Association, published byCambridge University Press, whose articles include descriptions of languages as well as other topics in phonetics. In addition, it arranges for the quadrennial International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (ICPhS)[5] through its affiliate, the Permanent Council for the Organization of ICPhS.
In 1886, a small group of language teachers inParis formed an association to encourage the use of phonetic notation in schools to help children acquire realistic pronunciations of foreign languages and also to aid in teaching reading to young children. The group, led byPaul Passy, called itself initiallyDhi Fonètik Tîtcerz' Asóciécon (theFTA). In January 1889, the name of the Association was changed toL'Association Phonétique des Professeurs de Langues Vivantes (AP), and, in 1897, toL'Association Phonétique Internationale (API)—in English, theInternational Phonetic Association (IPA). The IPA's early peak of membership and influence in education circles was around 1914, when there were 1751 members in 40 countries.World War I and its aftermath severely disrupted the Association's activities, and the Journal did not resume regular publication until 1922.
The group's initial aim was to create a set of phonetic symbols to which different articulations could apply, such that each language would have an alphabet particularly suited to describe the sounds of the language. Eventually it was decided that a universal alphabet, with the same symbol being used for the same sound in different languages was the ideal. The first prototype of theInternational Phonetic Alphabet appeared inPhonetic Teachers' Association (1888), and its development progressed rapidly up to the turn of the 20th century. Since then, there have been several sets of changes to the Alphabet, with additions and deletions that the progress of the science of phonetics has indicated.
The IPA also gave examinations in phonetics, starting 1908, awarding Certificates of Proficiency in the phonetics of English, French, or German. In 2023, due to dwindling intake, the examination was formally discontinued.[6]
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