phonetic

UK: fəˈnɛtɪk | US: fəˈnɛtɪk

Definition
  1. adj. relating to speech sounds or the sounds of a language

  2. adj. representing speech sounds with symbols

Structure
phon <sound>etic <relating to>
Etymology

The word "phonetic" originates from the Greek "phōnētikos," derived from "phōnē" (meaning "sound" or "voice"). The suffix "-etic" comes from Greek "-etikos," indicating "pertaining to." The term evolved through Late Latin "phōnēticus" before entering English in the early 19th century, specifically referring to the study or representation of speech sounds. The morpheme "phon" is widely used in English (e.g., "telephone," "symphony"), while "-etic" appears in scientific terms (e.g., "genetic").

Examples
  1. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a phonetic notation system.

  2. She has excellent phonetic awareness, distinguishing subtle sound differences.

  3. The app includes phonetic transcriptions to aid pronunciation.

  4. Linguists study phonetic changes across dialects.

  5. Children learn phonetic patterns before mastering spelling rules.