phonetics

[ fuh-net-iks, foh- ]
/ fəˈnɛt ɪks, foʊ- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR phonetics ON THESAURUS.COM

noun (used with a singular verb)

the science or study of speech sounds and their production, transmission, and reception, and their analysis, classification, and transcription. Compare acoustic phonetics, articulatory phonetics, auditory phonetics, physiological phonetics.
the phonetic system or the body of phonetic facts of a particular language.
the symbols used to represent the speech sounds of a language.

Origin of phonetics

First recorded in 1835–45; see origin at phonetic, -ics

Words nearby phonetics

phonetic, phonetic alphabet, phonetic law, phonetician, phoneticize, phonetics, phonetist, phonevision, phoney, phoniatrics, phonic

Definition for phonetics (2 of 2)

phonetic
[ fuh-net-ik, foh- ]
/ fəˈnɛt ɪk, foʊ- /

adjective

Also pho·net·i·cal. of or relating to speech sounds, their production, or their transcription in written symbols.
corresponding to pronunciation: phonetic transcription.
agreeing with pronunciation: phonetic spelling.
concerning or involving the discrimination of nondistinctive elements of a language. In English, certain phonological features, as length and aspiration, are phonetic but not phonemic.

noun

(in Chinese writing) a written element that represents a sound and is used in combination with a radical to form a character.

Origin of phonetic

1820–30; < New Latin phōnēticus < Greek phōnētikós vocal, equivalent to phōnēt(ós) to be spoken (verbid of phōneîn to speak) + -ikos -ic

OTHER WORDS FROM phonetic

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH phonetic

fanatic phonetic

Content related to phonetics

Easy As A, B, C: Fun Ways To Help Kids Learn Their Letters There’s more to learning the alphabet than the ABC song. Here’s the lowdown on learning about letters—and plenty of fun activities to help your children become alphabet experts.
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Words related to phonetics

utterance, accent, diction, enunciation, articulation, twang, elocution, speech, drawl, phonology, syllabification, phonemics, orthoepy

Example sentences from the Web for phonetics

British Dictionary definitions for phonetics (1 of 2)

phonetics
/ (fəˈnɛtɪks) /

noun

(functioning as singular) the science concerned with the study of speech processes, including the production, perception, and analysis of speech sounds from both an acoustic and a physiological point of view. This science, though capable of being applied to language studies, technically excludes linguistic considerations Compare phonology

British Dictionary definitions for phonetics (2 of 2)

phonetic
/ (fəˈnɛtɪk) /

adjective

of or relating to phonetics
denoting any perceptible distinction between one speech sound and another, irrespective of whether the sounds are phonemes or allophones Compare phonemic (def. 2)
conforming to pronunciation phonetic spelling

Derived forms of phonetic

phonetically, adverb

Word Origin for phonetic

C19: from New Latin phōnēticus, from Greek phōnētikos, from phōnein to make sounds, speak

Medical definitions for phonetics (1 of 2)

phonetics
[ fə-nĕt′ĭks ]

n.

The branch of linguistics that deals with the sounds of speech and their production, combination, description, and representation by written symbols.

Medical definitions for phonetics (2 of 2)

phonetic
[ fə-nĕt′ĭk ]

adj.

Of or relating to phonetics.
Representing the sounds of speech with a set of distinct symbols, each designating a single sound.