ortoepicas

Ortoepicas is a term used in linguistics to refer to the study and codification of correct pronunciation in a language, commonly associated with the concept of ortoepía. The word can appear in the plural form ortoepicas when discussing multiple systems or traditions of pronunciation. Orthoepy, the English equivalent, focuses on how words are supposed to be pronounced in standard or widely accepted speech, as distinct from spelling or the underlying sounds of a language.

Difference from related fields: Ortoepía is distinct from orthografía (spelling) and from phonetics or phonology (the physical realization of sounds and the abstract sound system). It addresses the normative aspects of pronunciation—such as which phonemes and allophones are used, syllable structure, stress patterns, juncture, and prosody—often within a given language variety. In practice, dictionaries, grammars, and style guides codify common or prestigious pronunciations, while descriptive analyses document regional or social variations.

Origins and usage: The term derives from Greek roots meaning “correct speech.” In English, the corresponding concept is orthoepy; in Spanish-speaking contexts, ortoepía is common, with ortoepicas used to reference its plural or to discuss multiple pronunciation traditions.

Applications: Ortoepicas informs language teaching, lexicography, and speech-language pathology, and it provides explanations for historical sound changes and dialectal differences. It helps explain why spelling may not unambiguously indicate pronunciation and how pronunciation evolves over time.

See also: orthografía, fonética, fonología, dialectología, AFI/IPA, lexicografía.