Phoneticize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To record the sounds of speech using a phonetic alphabet ; to render spoken words in a spelling system that matches their pronunciation
2. Transcribing speech into symbols that show exactly how each sound is made ; spelling words in a way that reflects their actual pronunciation
3. Setting down spoken language through phonetic notation ; expressing pronunciation with a sound-based script or simplified spelling

Etymology: "Phoneticize" is simply "phonetic" with the suffix "-ize" attached, and the pairing makes sense once you see what each half contributes. "Phonetic" comes from Greek "phōnē," meaning voice or sound, and "-ize" is the suffix that turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning to make something into, or to treat it in a certain way. Put together, "phoneticize" means to represent speech sounds in writing, or to make a language or a word follow phonetic principles. Someone who phoneticizes a spelling is trying to match letters to the sounds a speaker actually makes, rather than to historical or traditional forms. Spelling reformers and dialect writers have long done exactly this.

Synonyms: transliterate, transcribe