Phonetics

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /fəˈnɛtɪks/

Definitions

1. The discipline that investigates the characteristics and patterns of speech sounds in different languages
2. A field focused on the sounds of human language and their systematic organization and classification
3. The scientific analysis of how speech sounds are produced and function within languages

Etymology: Ancient Greek "phōnē" meant "sound" or "voice," and the same root appears in "symphony," "euphony," "telephone," and "phonograph." The adjective "phōnētikos," relating to the voice, was borrowed into Latin as "phōnēticus," and English took it as "phonetic." English then added the "-ics" ending, which turns a word into the name of a field of study, as in "physics" and "linguistics." The result is a plural-looking noun that treats the study of speech sounds as a single discipline.

Synonyms: speech sounds, linguistics, sound system, pronunciation, articulation