Phonetic alphabet

• A writing system used for transcribing the sounds of human speech into writing. This is a linguistic tool, not a replacement alphabet. Among phonetic alphabets are:
• * The International Phonetic Alphabet
• * SAMPA, an ASCII version
• * X-SAMPA, an extension of SAMPA
• * Kirshenbaum, an ASCII version originally developed for usenet newsgroups
• * The phonetic symbols in Webster's Third New International Dictionary

• A new alphabet for languages which are not phonetic. It would replace the current one (at least for learning a language). For example:
• * Herbert Bayer's fonetik alfabet
• * John Malone's UNIFON
• * Sir James Pitman's ITA, the "initial teaching alphabet"
• * Shavian alphabet, in honor of George Bernard Shaw.
• * Jan Tschichold's alphabet

• A list of standard words used to identify letters in a message transmitted by voice (including over radio, telephone, etc.). Occasionally known as a "radio alphabet". See:
• * NATO phonetic alphabet
• * Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet
• * RAF phonetic alphabet
• * LAPD phonetic alphabet