Phonetics
/fəˈnɛtɪks/noun
The branch of linguistics that studies the physical sounds of human speech.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Greek *phōnē* (“voice, sound”), the same ancient root behind *telephone*, *symphony*, and *cacophony*—proof that speech has always been treated like power.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
phōnētikós
“pertaining to voice or sound”
Late Greek
Greek
phōnētikḗ
“the art or study of sound/voice”
Late Latin
Latin
phonētica
“the study of speech sounds”
16th–17th Century
English
phonetic
“relating to the sounds of speech”
19th Century
English
phonetics
“the scientific study of speech sounds”
Explore more surprising origins