phonics
Americannoun
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a method of teaching reading and spelling based upon the phonetic interpretation of ordinary spelling.
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Obsolete. phonetics.
noun
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an obsolete name for acoustics
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a method of teaching people to read by training them to associate letters with their phonetic values
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Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of phonics
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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.
Vocabulary lists containing phonics
Common Senses: Phon ("Sound")
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phon
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2015 National Spelling Bee Words
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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.
Carvalho’s central focus on improving test scores has led to increased tutoring, repeated diagnostic measures and phonics training.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
Assembly Bill 2222, proposed in 2024, would have mandated the use of phonics in reading instruction.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025
Each school district must convince its teachers to choose phonics.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025
After decades of debate over how to teach reading, a new bill aims to use phonics to solve the state’s literacy crisis.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 13, 2025
The attention given to the use of diacritical marks, silent letters, and phonics.
From History of France by Green, J.R.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
