phonetics

[ fuh-net-iks, foh- ]

/ fəˈnɛt ɪks, foʊ- /

Save This Word!

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.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of phonetics

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

Words nearby phonetics

phonetically, phonetic alphabet, phonetician, phoneticize, phonetic law, phonetics, phonetist, Phonevision, phoney, phoniatrics, phonic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use phonetics in a sentence

It was a small step in learning to stick to my guns, but a leap in my comprehension of phonetics.
‘Sesame Street’ Is Middle-Aged and Awesome|Emily Shire|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Almost all French speakers have to do a serious amount of self-study to become conversant, especially when it comes to phonetics.
Why Can’t France Learn English?|David Sessions|March 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
My endeavour has been to put things very simply, and to make the beginner in phonetics hear for himself.
The Sounds of Spoken English|Walter Rippmann
Modern writers in their zeal for phonetics seem to have lost their sense of proportion.
The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind|Herbert George Wells

Their influence reaches far beyond the proper sphere of phonetics and invades that of morphology, as we shall see.
Language|Edward Sapir
In phonetics, as in vocabulary, we must be careful not to exaggerate the importance of interlinguistic influences.
Language|Edward Sapir
She isn't sorry to tally the pet (whose phonetics we employ) "dest wunced round the p on her soulders, only zis wunced."
Somehow Good|William de Morgan

British Dictionary definitions for phonetics

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 considerationsCompare phonology

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

Medical definitions for phonetics

phonetics

[ fə-nĕt′ĭks ]

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

phonetics

COMPARE MEANINGS

Origin of phonetics

Words nearby phonetics

Words related to phonetics

How to use phonetics in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for phonetics

Medical definitions for phonetics