phonetics Syllabification: (pho·net·ics)Pronunciation: /fəˈnetiks/Translate phonetics | into German | into Italian | into Spanish Definition of phonetics noun [treated as singular] the study and classification of speech sounds. Derivatives phoneticianPronunciation: /ˌfōnəˈtiSHən/ noun phonetics in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of phonetics in the British & World English dictionary