Phonetics

/fəˈnɛtɪks/

Meaning & Definition

noun
The study and classification of the sounds of human speech.
She decided to take a course in phonetics to better understand the sounds of different languages.
The sounds produced in speech, including their physical properties and how they are articulated.
Phonetics allows linguists to analyze how phonemes are produced and perceived.
A system of phonetic transcription that visually represents the sounds of speech.
The students learned the International Phonetic Alphabet as part of their phonetics curriculum.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek word 'phōnētikos' meaning 'sound' or 'voice'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

International Phonetic Alphabet
A standardized system for phonetic transcription.
articulatory phonetics
The study of how speech sounds are produced.
acoustic phonetics
The study of the physical properties of speech sounds.

Related Words

phoneme
The smallest unit of sound in a language.
morphology
The study of the structure and form of words in a language.
syntax
The arrangement of words and phrases to create sentences.

Slang Meanings

Phonetics as a cool academic field.
I'm diving deep into phonetics this semester; it's pretty rad!
Using phonetic spellings for emphasis in casual texts.
I just love the way you say 'hello'—it sounds so cute! Helo is not the same, ya know?