phonics

American  

[fon-iks, foh-niks] / ˈfɒn ɪks, ˈfoʊ nɪks /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. a method of teaching reading and spelling based upon the phonetic interpretation of ordinary spelling.

2. Obsolete. phonetics.

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phonics British  

/ ˈfɒnɪks /

noun

1. an obsolete name for acoustics

2. a method of teaching people to read by training them to associate letters with their phonetic values

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Other Word Forms

• phonic adjective
• phonically adverb

Etymology

Origin of phonics

First recorded in 1675–85; phon- + -ics

Compare meaning

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

• phonics vs. phonetics

Explanation

Phonics is the science of sound. It’s also a way of teaching reading by focusing on how letters and groups of letters of the alphabet look and sound. Phonics comes from the Greek word phone for "sound." Phone is a familiar word as the thing you talk to people on, but it also shows up in other sound-related words like phonology (the scientific study of sounds in languages) and phonograph (an old device for playing music). Phonics is a way of teaching beginning readers to match letters and sounds. By associating letters with sounds, phonics helps people hear and say the words they’re seeing on the page.

Example Sentences

The Mississippi Moon Shot: rigorous phonics training, accountability when students fail to learn—and then, crucially, school choice.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

Rather than using a systematic method, such as phonics, he gradually picked up patterns on the page.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

In the last few years, several larger districts in California have started to embrace more structured phonics learning, including Los Angeles Unified, Long Beach Unified and Oakland Unified.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2025

Of the children in Key Stage 1, 95% reached national standards on phonics in their latest stats, well above the national average and up from 61% before the pandemic.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2025

Attention to the power of phonics to contribute to the emotional force and to the strength of meaning in the tale, will reveal to the story-teller many new beauties.

From A Study of Fairy Tales by Kready, Laura F.