This document provides an introduction to phonetics, the study of speech sounds, including their articulation and acoustic properties. It describes the distinction between voiced and voiceless sounds, which depend on whether the vocal cords are vibrating. It then discusses different places of articulation for consonant sounds, including bilabial, labiodental, dental, alveolar, alveo-palatal, palatal, velar, and glottal sounds. It also covers different manners of articulation such as stops, fricatives, affricates, nasals, liquids, and glides. Finally, it introduces vowels and diphthongs, noting that vowels involve a relatively free airflow compared to consonants.