The International Phonetic Alphabet is a system of phonetic notation which provides a standardized system of representing the sounds of spoken languages. It may be represented visually using charts, which are given here for reference:
Pulmonic consonants are those made by obstructing the glottis (the space between the vocal cords) or oral cavity (the mouth) and either simultaneously or subsequently letting out air from the lungs. Where symbols appear in pairs, the one to the right represents a voiced consonant. Shaded areas denote articulations judged as impossible.
Coarticulated consonants are sounds that involve two simultaneous places of articulation (are pronounced using two parts of the vocal tract). In English, the [w] in "went" is a coarticulated consonant, because it is pronounced by rounding the lips and raising the back of the tongue. Other languages, such as French and Swedish, have different coarticulated consonants.
Non-pulmonic consonants are sounds whose airflow is not dependent on the lungs. These include clicks (found in the Khoisan languages of Africa), implosives (found in languages such as Swahili) and ejectives (found in many Amerindian and Caucasian languages).
Below is a chart depicting the vowels of the IPA. The IPA maps the vowels according to the position of the tongue. In places where vowels are paired, the right represents a rounded vowel (in which the lips are rounded) while the left is its unrounded counterpart.
