phonische

Phonische is an adjective used in linguistics to refer to aspects of language related to its spoken form. The word derives from the roots for sound (phon-) and the German suffix -isch. In German-language scholarship, the more common form is phonisch; phonische appears mainly in fixed phrases such as die phonische Transkription or eine phonische Schreibweise, where it describes representations that aim to reflect pronunciation.

In practice, phonische usage concerns how speech sounds are captured in writing or transcription. A phonische Transkription seeks to render the actual pronunciation of words, often using a phonetic alphabet like the International Phonetic Alphabet, as distinct from spellings based on historical orthography. The term can also surface in discussions contrasting phonische representations with phonemische or graphemische analyses.

The usage of phonische is relatively limited today and some linguists prefer phonetisch or phonemisch for clearer terminology. When encountered, it usually signals a focus on sound-based representation rather than on underlying segments or historic spellings.

See also: phonetics, phonology, orthography, transcription, IPA.