What is the best way to learn the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)?
It is mostly a straight memorisation exercise. Depending in your memory skills it could be as little as an hour or so, through to several hours over a couple of weeks to get it locked in.
My suggestions.
-
Print out a copy
-
Recite in order several times
-
Use it to spell out words, reference your printout as required. You can use any printed material such as book or magazine as your source of words.
-
As per 3 but without peeking at the printout. Note any you keep getting stuck on and look them up at the end. Focus on these few.
-
Leave it for a day/week. Try 4 again. Focus on relearning the ones you forgot.
-
Repeat 5 as required until the are stuck in your memory.
Is it worth taking the time to learn the IPA (international phonetic alphabet)?
The IPA [International Phonetic Alphabet] Pronunciation Guide
LPT: Learn the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
Videos
I am really interested in learning it.
It is mostly a straight memorisation exercise. Depending in your memory skills it could be as little as an hour or so, through to several hours over a couple of weeks to get it locked in.
My suggestions.
-
Print out a copy
-
Recite in order several times
-
Use it to spell out words, reference your printout as required. You can use any printed material such as book or magazine as your source of words.
-
As per 3 but without peeking at the printout. Note any you keep getting stuck on and look them up at the end. Focus on these few.
-
Leave it for a day/week. Try 4 again. Focus on relearning the ones you forgot.
-
Repeat 5 as required until the are stuck in your memory.
I first learned it by writing speeches from films in the actors accents. Start with monologues in your native language and pronunciation to get the hang of it, then move on to actors with strong accents. It's pretty fun, honestly, and kept it engaging while I was learning.