The alphabet 8 of the International Phonetic Association is a system of written symbols aiming at an accurate and uniform representation of the sounds of speech. It distinguishes twent y vowel sounds, six diphthongs, and twenty-seven consonant sounds. The English language lacks three of the vowel sounds (those present in German grün and schön and in French seul) and two of the consonant sounds (those present in German i ch and Scottish loch).