First Known Use: 1803
Dictionary
phonetic
adjective pho·net·ic \fə-ˈne-tik\
: of or relating to spoken language, speech sounds, or the science of phonetics
: representing each speech sound with a single symbol
: using a system of written symbols that represent speech sounds in a way that is very close to how they actually sound
Full Definition of PHONETIC
1
: representing the sounds and other phenomena of speech: as a : constituting an alteration of ordinary spelling that better represents the spoken language, that employs only characters of the regular alphabet, and that is used in a context of conventional spelling b : representing speech sounds by means of symbols that have one value only c : employing for speech sounds more than the minimum number of symbols necessary to represent the significant differences in a speaker's speech
2
a : of or relating to spoken language or speech sounds b : of or relating to the science of phonetics
— pho·net·i·cal·ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb
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Origin of PHONETIC
New Latin phoneticus, from Greek phōnētikos, from phōnein to sound with the voice, from phōnē voice
Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms
Rhymes with PHONETIC
aesthetic, ascetic, athletic, balletic, bathetic, cometic, cosmetic, eidetic, emetic, frenetic, gametic, genetic, hermetic, limnetic, magnetic, mimetic, noetic, Ossetic, paretic, pathetic, phenetic, phyletic, poetic, prophetic, prosthetic, pyretic, splenetic, syncretic, syndetic, synthetic, tonetic, Venetic
PHONETIC Defined for Kids
phonetic
adjective pho·net·ic \fə-ˈne-tik\
Definition of PHONETIC for Kids
: of or relating to spoken language or speech sounds
Medical Dictionary
phonetic
adjective pho·net·ic \fə-ˈnet-ik\
Medical Definition of PHONETIC
1
a : of or relating to spoken language or speech sounds b : of or relating to the science of phonetics
2
: representing the sounds and other phenomena of speech
—pho·net·i·cal·ly \-i-k(ə-)lē\ adverb
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