Definition of the word phonetic

The word "phonetic" derives from the Greek words "φωνή" (pronounced phōnē), meaning "sound" or "voice," and "τ念τικός" (pronounced tēnetikós), meaning " pertaining to thought." The English term "phonetic" combines these roots to describe anything related to the relationship between sounds (phōnē) and letters (a type of symbol roughly representing thought -- tēnetikós) in written languages. More specifically, in linguistics, phonetics refers to the study of the sounds of human speech and how they are produced, perceived, and represented in written language. It's a branch of the broader field of linguistics called phonology, which focuses more generally on the systematic patterns and rules of sound systems in languages. Phonetics and phonology help us to understand the intricacies of both familiar and less-familiar languages, as well as to identify and overcome common difficulties in learning new sounds and pronunciation patterns.