pronunciation spelling

plural pronunciation spellings

1. countableuncountableA spelling intended to represent a pronunciation, which may or may not be the standard spelling of the word.

   Over time the new spelling may become as acceptable as the original spelling, as is the case with the pronunciation spelling bosun for boatswain.

   2005, The American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Style

   2 more examples

   A word of almost phonetic composition is one in which the pronunciation spelling uses exactly the same letters in the precise order of the correct spelling of the word, but one of the vowels used to represent a particular sound may be interchanged with some different vowel letter and still not change the pronunciation of the word.

   1954, Ira Edward Aaron, The Relationship of Auditory-visual Discrimination to Spelling Ability, page 6

   This spelling (mic) seems to be a holdover from port labels on old stereos and tape players. Yet people had long since decided that the pronunciation spelling mike, which dates from the 1920s, was more sensible and convenient.

   2009, Bryan Garner, Garner's Modern American Usage, page 537