phonetically

Phonetically is an adverb describing something related to phonetics, the study of the sounds of human speech, including their articulation, acoustic properties, and transcription. In practical terms, when something is described as being pronounced phonetically, it refers to the actual sounds of speech as captured by a system that encodes those sounds, rather than by conventional spelling. Dictionaries and language resources often present pronunciations phonetically using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).

Etymology and form: The adjective phonetic comes from Greek phōnētikos, meaning “of sound,” from phōnē “sound, voice.” The English adverb phonetically and the related noun phonetics entered standard use in the 19th century as linguistic methods for describing speech were formalized.

Usage and context: The term is common in linguistics, education, lexicography, and speech sciences. Phonetically transcribed data differ from orthographic forms, which reflect spelling, and from phonemic transcriptions, which encode only contrastive sounds. The phrase “phonetically similar” indicates two forms that produce similar sounds, even if their spelling differs or their pronunciation varies by dialect. Conversely, “phonetically accurate” implies close adherence to the actual pronunciation.

In everyday use, phonetically can describe spellings that aim to reflect pronunciation, such as “phonetically spelled names,” or guidance to pronounce unfamiliar words. It also appears in discussions of pronunciation changes, accents, or transcription choices, where sound information rather than spelling is the focus.