What is a Phonetic?

The study of human speech sounds is known as phonetics. It is a system of symbols that is used to represent all the sounds in English. The term phonetics has been derived from a Greek word φωνή which means phone, sound, or voice.

A person who specializes in phonetics is known as phonetician.

Phonetic Symbols


The above picture gives us an idea about phonetic symbols.

Branches of Phonetics:

Phonetics can be divided into three main branches. They are as follows:

1. Articulatory Phonetics: it is a study which involves the use of vocal cords to produce a speech sound.
2. Acoustics Phonetics: It involves the study of physical properties of speech sound.
3. Auditory Phonetics: It involves the study of the way people recognize speech sounds.

The Importance of Phonetics:

When we open an English dictionary we find that there is a sign just before or after the word, and these signs are called phonetics. Phonetics are very important because they help you improve your pronunciation. 


History of Phonetics:

Panini was an Indian Grammarian who for the first time studied the rules of articulation in Sanskrit language. King Sejong of Korea created a new system of alphabet that represented accurate sounds. There were many others who followed the footsteps of Panini and King Sejong. During the 17the and 18th Century, the discovery of L, N, and M sounds were made. In order to describe the sounds from different languages, a phonetic system was discovered by the International Phonetic Association during the 19th and 20th Century.

What is phonology?

Phonology is a branch of linguistics that deals with the study of sound system, their pattern and distribution.

Difference Between Phonetics and Phonology:

The study of speech sounds is known as Phonetics and the scientific study of the sound systems and their patterns is known as phonology. For any phonological analysis, phonetics can be considered as the base but for further work in syntax, morphology, and pragmatics phonology is essential.

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