Phonetize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To write out spoken sounds using a system of symbols or a simplified spelling that shows how each word is pronounced
2. To record or render the pronunciation of words in a notation that matches each sound to a fixed symbol or letter
3. To transcribe speech sounds by assigning each one a consistent written form so that pronunciation can be read directly

Etymology: "Phonetize" is formed from "phonetic" plus the verb-forming suffix "-ize". "Phonetic" comes from Greek "phōnētikos", meaning "vocal" or "relating to sound", itself from "phōnē", "sound, voice". The Greek root gives English many words built on sound, such as "telephone" and "symphony". The verb is an English formation: a base adjective with "-ize" attached, a pattern English has used for centuries to turn adjectives and nouns into verbs. Its sense of writing down spoken sounds follows naturally from "phonetic", which describes the study and notation of speech sounds.

Synonyms: phoneticize, transcribe