phonetics

American  

[fuh-net-iks, foh-] / fəˈnɛt ɪks, foʊ- /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. the science or study of speech sounds and their production, transmission, and reception, and their analysis, classification, and transcription.

2. the phonetic system or the body of phonetic facts of a particular language.

3. the symbols used to represent the speech sounds of a language.

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phonetics British  

/ fəˈnɛtɪks /

noun

1. (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

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Etymology

Origin of phonetics

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

Compare meaning

How does phonetics compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• phonics vs. phonetics

Explanation

If you're fascinated with the sounds that make up various parts of human speech, you might want to study phonetics, which focuses on these sounds. Phonetics is a field of study that examines the sounds in speech — the way they're made, how they're heard, and how they make up speech and language. It's one branch of linguistics, along with grammar, syntax, and other subjects. The word phonetics has been used in English since the 1800s, and it comes from the Greek phonetikos, "vocal," which in turn has the root word phone, "voice or sound."

Example Sentences

Peter French, president of the International Association for Forensic Phonetics and Acoustics, said he had never heard of comparing a screaming voice with a normal voice for identification.

From New York Times • Jun. 22, 2013

Phonetics is concerned with the physical properties of speech.

From US News • Jul. 29, 2011

Assistant Professor of Phonetics Marie Katherine Mason of Ohio State examined Addie Belle and reported that she now had a serious hearing impairment, was almost deaf.

From Time Magazine Archive

Phonetics professors and small-town con men may be Out, but star them in musicals called My Fair Lady and The Music Man and they couldn't be more delightfully In.

From Time Magazine Archive

We venture to suggest a new attitude to illustrate the ease of manner which one expects from a Master of Phonetics and Deportment.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 146, April 22, 1914 by Seaman, Owen, Sir

Related Words

• accent
• diction
• utterance