phonetic

[ fuh-net-ik ]

adjective

1. Also pho·net·i·cal [] of or relating to speech sounds, their production, or their transcription in written symbols.
2. corresponding to pronunciation:

   phonetic transcription.

3. agreeing with pronunciation:

   phonetic spelling.

4. 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

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

phonetic

/ fəˈnɛtɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to phonetics
2. See phonemic
   denoting any perceptible distinction between one speech sound and another, irrespective of whether the sounds are phonemes or allophones Compare phonemic
3. conforming to pronunciation

   phonetic spelling

Derived Forms

• phoˈnetically, adverb

Other Words From

• pho·net·i·cal·ly adverb
• non·pho·net·ic adjective
• non·pho·net·i·cal adjective
• un·pho·net·ic adjective
• un·pho·net·i·cal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of phonetic¹

First recorded in 1820–30; from New Latin phōnēticus, from Greek phōnētikós “vocal,” equivalent to phōnēt(ós) “to be spoken” (verbid of phōneîn “to speak”) + -ikos adjective suffix; -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of phonetic¹

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

Example Sentences

The company’s name is a play on the phonetics of 1, 2, 3 in Spanish.

From TechCrunch

That is, though she sometimes begins either with an ancient ideographic character or even with the modern phonetic characters to set the mood or theme of her work, she then allows hand and imagination free play.

From Washington Post

Phonetic, made-up lyrics are another venerable tradition of folk music, and “pa-rum-pa-pa-pum” is iconic of the genre.

From The Daily Beast

Instead of printing, they take the direct photography of events and the phonetic impression of words.

From Project Gutenberg

There is only a phonetic distinction between the Spanish and the Portuguese idea.

From Project Gutenberg

These tones help to distinguish words which have the same phonetic sound but different meanings.

From Project Gutenberg

If phonetic spelling is commenced with the alphabet, he will be accurately trained in that art also.

From Project Gutenberg

There are many phonetic alphabets; all else being equal, the one most widely used is clearly the most valuable.

From Project Gutenberg