phonetics

pho·ne·tics
P3H4O1N1E1T1I1C3S1
/fəˈnɛt.ɪks/[fəˈnɛʔəks][fəˈnɛhəks]

noun

The study of the physical sounds of human speech, concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds (phones), and the processes of their physiological production, auditory reception, and neurophysiological perception, and their representation by written symbols.

“This dictionary shows the phonetics of the words.”

Similar
phonics
OriginEnglish phonetic ← Latin phōnēticus ← Ancient Greek φωνητῐκός (phōnētĭkós) →
Less commonScrabble 16
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounphonetics (uncountable)
  1. uncountablehuman sciencesThe study of the physical sounds of human speech, concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds (phones), and the processes of their physiological production, auditory reception, and neurophysiological perception, and their representation by written symbols.

    This dictionary shows the phonetics of the words.

    Synonyms: phonics

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe study of the physical sounds of human speech, concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds (phones), and the processes of their physiological production, auditory reception, and neurophysiological perception, and their representation by written symbols.

Similar
phonics

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  2. Proto-Hellenic*pʰōnā́
  3. Ancient Greekφωνή (phōnḗ)
  4. Ancient Greekφωνέω (phōnéō)
  5. Ancient Greekφωνητῐκός (phōnētĭkós)
  6. Latinphōnēticus
  7. Englishphonetic
  8. Englishphonetics

From phonetic + -s. By surface analysis, phone (“linguistic unit of sound”) + -etic + -s.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans fonetiek
  • fonetiekstudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Arabic صَوْتِيَات
  • صَوْتِيَات (ṣawtiyāt)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Bengali ধ্বনিবিজ্ঞান
  • ধ্বনিবিজ্ঞান (dhonibiggên)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Bulgarian фонетика
  • фонетика (fonetika)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Catalan fonètica
  • fonèticastudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Chinese Cantonese 語音學 /语音学
  • 語音學 /语音学 (jyu⁵ jam¹ hok⁶)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Chinese Mandarin 語音學 /语音学
  • 語音學 /语音学 (yǔyīnxué)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Czech fonetika
  • fonetikastudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Danish fonetik
  • fonetikstudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Dutch fonetiek, klankleer
  • fonetiekstudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
  • klankleerstudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Esperanto fonetiko
  • fonetikostudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Finnish fonetiikka, ääntöoppi
  • fonetiikkastudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
  • ääntöoppistudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
French phonétique
  • phonétiquestudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
German Phonetik, Lautlehre
  • Phonetikstudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
  • Lautlehrestudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Hindi स्वरविज्ञान, स्वनविज्ञान
  • स्वरविज्ञान (svarvijñān)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
  • स्वनविज्ञान (svanvijñān)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Hungarian fonetika
  • fonetikastudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Indonesian fonetik
  • fonetikstudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Irish foghraíocht
  • foghraíochtstudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Italian fonetica
  • foneticastudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Japanese 音声学
  • 音声学 (onseigaku)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Korean 음성학, 어음학
  • 음성학 (eumseonghak)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
  • 어음학 (eo'eumhak)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Latvian fonētika
  • fonētikastudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Lithuanian fonetika
  • fonetikastudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Malay fonetik, kaji bunyi bahasa
  • fonetikstudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
  • kaji bunyi bahasastudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Norwegian Bokmål fonetikk
  • fonetikkstudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Persian آواشناسی, صوتیات
  • آواشناسی (âvâšenâsi)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
  • صوتیات (sowtiyyât)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Polish fonetyka
  • fonetykastudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Portuguese fonética
  • fonéticastudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Romanian fonetică
  • foneticăstudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Russian фоне́тика
  • фоне́тика (fonɛ́tika)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Slovak fonetika
  • fonetikastudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Spanish fonética
  • fonéticastudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Swahili fonetiki
  • fonetikistudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Swedish fonetik
  • fonetikstudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Tagalog palatinigan
  • palatiniganstudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Tamil ஒலியியல், ஒலிப்பியல்
  • ஒலியியல் (oliyiyal)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
  • ஒலிப்பியல் (olippiyal)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Thai สัทศาสตร์
  • สัทศาสตร์ (sàt-tá-sàat)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Turkish sesbilgisi, fonetik
  • sesbilgisistudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
  • fonetikstudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Ukrainian фоне́тика
  • фоне́тика (fonétyka)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Urdu صَوْتِیَّاتْ
  • صَوْتِیَّاتْ (savtiyyāt)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Vietnamese ngữ âm học
  • ngữ âm họcstudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Welsh seineg
  • seinegstudy of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols
Yiddish פֿאָנעטיק
  • פֿאָנעטיק (fonetik)study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with phonetics

dieteticscynegeticseticsgrapheticspheneticspoliorcetics
All rhymes →

Anagrams

Ctesiphonsphenotic
Cite this entry
APA

phonetics. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phonetics

MLA

“phonetics.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phonetics. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phonetics,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phonetics.

Source: phonetics on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.