Definition of "phonetic" [pho•net•ic]

• Of or relating to phonetics. (adjective)
• Representing the sounds of speech with a set of distinct symbols, each designating a single sound: phonetic spelling. (adjective)
• Of, relating to, or being features of pronunciation that are not phonemically distinctive in a language, as aspiration of consonants or vowel length in English. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "For other flavors, even specific dialectal dictionaries use Latin phonetic transliteration."
• "The Mexican-born filmmaker explains Biutful gets its misspelled title from the Spanish phonetic spelling for the English word that Uxbal uses to describe the better world he wants for his children."
• "The lyrics to this snazzy, uplifting number is spelled out in phonetic Korean to make it easy for you."