phonétique
/fɔ.ne.tik/feminine
The English word phonetics is translated into French as phonétique.
The term refers to the study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols.
Meaning: study of speech sounds and their representation by written symbols (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
phonétique is a feminine noun, so it is used with feminine articles such as la (la phonétique).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /fɔ.ne.tik/.
Did you know?
- The Greek root of phonétique is shared with the English word 'phone', meaning 'sound' or 'voice'.
- In some French linguistic circles the study of phonétique is divided into 'articulatoire' and 'acoustique' to separate how sounds are made from how they are heard.
- While English often uses 'phonetics' as a plural noun, in French la phonétique is strictly singular.
Examples in context
- La phonétique est fascinante.Phonetics is fascinating.
- Elle étudie la phonétique à l'université.She studies phonetics at the university.
- Ce cours porte sur la phonétique française.This course is about French phonetics.
Example conversation
Two students are discussing their linguistics course.
- ManonTu aimes le cours de phonétique ?Do you like the phonetics class?
- LucasOui, mais c'est compliqué, Manon.Yes, but it's complicated, Manon.
- ManonMoi aussi, je lutte avec les symboles.Me too, I struggle with the symbols.
- LucasOn peut réviser la phonétique ensemble.We can review phonetics together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “phonetics” translations and entries phonétique, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries phonétique, CC BY-SA 4.0.
