phonetics

(noun)

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

Related Terms

Examples of phonetics in the following topics:

  • Common Spelling Errors

    • Phonetics is a field that studies the sounds of a language.
    • However, English phonetics can be tricky: In English, the pronunciation of a word does not always relate to the way it is spelled.
    • Here are some common phonetic irregularities:
    • For example: "concede" and "conceed" are the same phonetically, but only "concede" is the proper spelling.
    • "Right," for example, does not resemble its phonetic spelling whatsoever.