phonetically
adverb
pho·net·ic·al·ly
fə-ˈne-ti-k(ə-)lē 
: in a phonetic manner or sense or from a phonetic point of view
words that are phonetically similar
especially
: by using a system of written symbols that closely represent speech sounds
Wine Enthusiast breaks down the toughest wine tongue twisters and spells them out for you phonetically, so you'll never be speechless around a sommelier again. —
Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Wine Enthusiast Magazine At the same time, the Communists abandoned the Wade-Giles system of phonetically rendering the sound of Mandarin using the Roman alphabet and adopted instead the pinyin system. —Jasper Becker
Jasper Becker Examples of phonetically in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ovid’s godly characters are whittled down to basic geometric forms like ovoid shapes and cones that together recount the tale in some of the world’s most phonetically complex languages, such as Abkhaz from Abkhazia, Chatino from inland Oaxaca, and Silbo Gomero from La Gomera in the Canary Islands.
—Mariana Fernández, ARTnews.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Baer’s jersey spells Santander’s name phonetically: Sahn-tahn-dare.
—Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2024
Several towns in the county are phonetically tied to Patwin villages — Suisun, Soscol, Ulatis and Putah — according to the county’s official homepage.
—Tyrone Beason, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2024
For guest judges Carla Hall (a Top Chef season eight alumna and constant presence on the Food Network) and actress Clea DuVall — two names that are very phonetically pleasant together — the chefs have to cook a dish featuring both cherries and a surprise ingredient hidden behind a little door.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 3 Apr. 2024
Messages come in a rush of many voices, languages mixed seamlessly, Arabic spelled out phonetically.
—Jordan P. Hickey, Longreads, 22 Feb. 2024
In truth, Sabu, whose mother tongue was Kannada, was reciting his lines phonetically.
—Hazlitt, 29 Nov. 2023
The actor realized Myers was actually speaking Japanese, having phonetically memorized his lines so as to seem fluent.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 28 June 2023
On that visit and a subsequent session at the school with her daughter, Isaac’s mother, and Isaac’s teacher, Ms. Joseph found that her grandson was being given difficult reading assignments without being taught to parse the words by sounding them out phonetically.
—Sam Roberts, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2022
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Mariana Fernández, ARTnews.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Baer’s jersey spells Santander’s name phonetically: Sahn-tahn-dare.
—Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2024
Several towns in the county are phonetically tied to Patwin villages — Suisun, Soscol, Ulatis and Putah — according to the county’s official homepage.
—Tyrone Beason, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2024
For guest judges Carla Hall (a Top Chef season eight alumna and constant presence on the Food Network) and actress Clea DuVall — two names that are very phonetically pleasant together — the chefs have to cook a dish featuring both cherries and a surprise ingredient hidden behind a little door.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 3 Apr. 2024
Messages come in a rush of many voices, languages mixed seamlessly, Arabic spelled out phonetically.
—Jordan P. Hickey, Longreads, 22 Feb. 2024
In truth, Sabu, whose mother tongue was Kannada, was reciting his lines phonetically.
—Hazlitt, 29 Nov. 2023
The actor realized Myers was actually speaking Japanese, having phonetically memorized his lines so as to seem fluent.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 28 June 2023
On that visit and a subsequent session at the school with her daughter, Isaac’s mother, and Isaac’s teacher, Ms. Joseph found that her grandson was being given difficult reading assignments without being taught to parse the words by sounding them out phonetically.
—Sam Roberts, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2022
Dictionary Entries Near phonetically
Cite this Entry
“Phonetically.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phonetically. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share