phonetics

noun, plural in form but singular in construction

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pho·net·ics | \ fə-ˈne-tiks

Definition of phonetics

1 : the system of speech sounds of a language or group of languages

2a : the study and systematic classification of the sounds made in spoken utterance

b : the practical application of this science to language study

Examples of phonetics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web While at Oxford, Hayes plans to study for graduate degrees in mathematical science as well as linguistics, philology and phonetics, according to the university. — Ruth Serven Smith | Rserven@al.com, al, 23 Nov. 2021 The class is held on Wednesdays via Zoom and will be covering Moses-Columbian language history, phonetics/orthography, vocabulary, and grammar. — oregonlive, 8 Oct. 2021 Francis Andrade, who lives in Woodbridge, Va., had planned to use the Barbie Pond display as a visual aide for her students, who are deaf children learning to communicate with their Hispanic parents through phonetics. — Washington Post, 27 June 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phonetics.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.