International Phonetic Association

International Phonetic Association

Abbreviation	IPA
Formation	1886; 138 years ago (1886)
Founder	Paul Passy
Type	Private company limited by guarantee
Purpose	Scientific study of phonetics
Headquarters	24 Holborn Viaduct, London, England
Official language	None by law[1] English de facto[2]
President	Katerina Nicolaidis
Key people	Daniel Jones Peter Ladefoged
Main organ	Journal of the International Phonetic Association
Website	International Phonetic Association

The International Phonetic Association (IPA; French: Association phonétique internationale, API) is an organization that promotes the scientific study of phonetics and the various practical applications of that science. The IPA's major contribution to phonetics is the International 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 British private company limited by guarantee.^[3][4]

The IPA also oversees the Journal of the International Phonetic Association, published by Cambridge 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.