Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

phonemic

American  
[fuh-nee-mik, foh-] / fəˈni mɪk, foʊ- /

adjective

  1. of or relating to phonemes.

    a phonemic system.

  2. of or relating to phonemics.

  3. concerning or involving the discrimination of distinctive speech elements of a language.

    a phonemic contrast.


phonemic British  
/ fəˈniːmɪk /

adjective

  1. of or relating to the phoneme

  2. relating to or denoting speech sounds that belong to different phonemes rather than being allophonic variants of the same phoneme Compare phonetic

  3. of or relating to phonemics

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of phonemic

First recorded in 1930–35; phoneme + -ic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A particular concern for Aldwin is that he frequently makes something called phonemic paraphasic errors, when a person substitutes a sound or syllable that resembles the intended word.

From Slate • Jan. 26, 2026

The incidence of these kinds of mistakes takes him into this realm of phonemic paraphasia, which is a sign of underlying brain damage, not just aging.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2024

The term “science of reading” is used to describe five components of effective reading instruction: phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 10, 2021

But for children with dyslexia, phonemic awareness is difficult.

From Scientific American • Sep. 27, 2020

In addition, there is an intrinsic relationship in the discrimination of phonemic sounds and musical sounds for children learning to read.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "phonemic" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com