Phonetic Spelling: What It Is and How to Use It

Sound is one reason the traditional English language is complex—it includes potentially confusing elements such as homophones and silent letters. In English writing, some letters have only a single sound, but the sound represented by most letters depends on its context. This makes English words challenging to spell and difficult to pronounce.

Phonetic spelling can be a helpful tool for learning how to say words that aren’t pronounced the way they’re spelled. This technique clarifies the proper pronunciation by spelling words the way they sound.

What is phonetic spelling?

The method of breaking down the pronunciation of a word based on how each letter or syllable sounds is called phonetic spelling. For example, a phonetic spelling for “information” is “in-fur-MAY-shun.”

Some traditionally spelled English words have quirky pronunciations that might not be obvious from their spelling. These inconsistent letter-to-sound correspondences can make landing the correct pronunciation challenging. The consonant “c” can have a soft sound like /s/, as in “cellular,” but it can also have a hard /k/ sound, as in “cat.” Vowels also have variations; for instance, the letter “a” can have what’s called a short A sound, as in “cat,” or it can have a long A sound, as in “cape.”

Another oddity is the inclusion of silent letters in traditional English spelling. The word “numb” has a silent “b,” and there’s a silent “l” in “talk.”

Phonetic spelling provides an easily recognizable way to sound out a word’s pronunciation. And once you get used to the technique, it may help you in dealing with other languages that can be spelled phonetically, like German, Spanish, and Polish.

Spelling words phonetically can be a practical learning tool for English as an additional language (EAL) speakers and for original English speakers who are being introduced to new or confusing words.

Here’s a tip: You can ask Grammarly to spell unfamiliar words phonetically to help you learn pronunciation. Simply select the word, pop up the Grammarly assistant, and ask how to pronounce it.

Examples of phonetic spelling

Below are a few examples of confusing words that are phonetically spelled to clearly and accurately show their pronunciation.

• Colonel (KUR-nel): The first “l” is silent, and the word isn’t pronounced using standard English sound associations.
• Mischievous (MIS-chuh-vus): This word is sometimes mispronounced as “mis-CHEE-vee-us,” with four syllables. That’s not regarded as standard by most speakers.
• Pronunciation (pro-nun-see-AY-shun): The second syllable of the related word “pronounce” sounds like “noun,” while the second syllable of “pronunciation” sounds like “nun.”
• February (FEB-roo-air-ee): This word is sometimes pronounced without the first “r” sound, as “FEB-you-air-ee.” Either way of saying it is accepted.
• Wednesday (WENZ-day): The first “d” is silent, and the “nes” sound is contracted to a standard /z/ sound.
• Anemone (uh-NEM-uh-nee): Learners might expect the last “e” to remain silent, as in “phone,” but it’s said with a long “ee” sound.
• Worcestershire (WOOS-ter-sheer): This word has multiple silent letters and contracted syllables.
• Quinoa (KEEN-wah): The “oa” in “quinoa” has an unexpected /w/ sound.

Phonetic sounds

The traditional English language uses 44 basic sound units, called phonemes. Its 26-letter alphabet represents all of these different sounds. Because the sound of a given letter of the alphabet isn’t necessarily clear (as we’ve already seen), other systems have been devised to indicate the 44 unique phonemes of English. One of these is called the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).

Below is a list of the IPA characters or symbols for a few common English phonemes, various spellings corresponding to the sound, and examples of words using that sound.

Common phonetic sounds

Tips and best practices when using phonetic spelling

Although phonetic spelling can make it easier to clarify the exact sounds of confusing English words, be mindful of how you use this pronunciation tool. Here are some best practices to apply phonetic spelling in your day-to-day life so it compliments the learning process:

• Try phonetic spelling generators. There are online tools that make it easy to convert complicated English words into their phonetically spelled versions.

• Teach phonetic and traditional spelling. In teaching, find a balance between using phonetic spelling as an aid to pronunciation and traditional spelling as an aid in writing skills.
• Keep practicing. Make a game of identifying a word’s graphemes—meaning its letter or letter-combination spelling for each phoneme—and the sound each one makes.
• Don’t use phonetic spelling for formal communication. Phonetic spelling is a pronunciation mechanism that clarifies the sounds within words, but it’s not a replacement for formal communication and writing.

Conclusion

Phonetic spelling is a straightforward approach to learning correct pronunciation by breaking down a word into its distinct sounds. Whether you’re learning English or it’s your original language, this pronunciation technique can clarify a language with many irregular rules.

If you’re struggling with a word, try spelling it phonetically to learn the appropriate sounds it conveys. Remember to make sure that you’re confident in its traditional spelling as well, to round out your English language skills.

Phonetic spelling FAQs

Can I use phonetic spelling to write to other people?

No. Phonetic spelling can be useful for describing sounds within words and learning their proper pronunciation. However, traditional English spelling should be used in writing, especially for professional or formal correspondence.

Does phonetic spelling help in understanding accents or regional pronunciations?

Learning how to spell English words phonetically can help clarify regional accents and pronunciations for certain words. Phonetic spellings can help learners visually recognize and articulate sounds.

What are the main differences between phonetic spelling and traditional English spelling?

Phonetic spelling identifies each sound of a particular word based on its letters or syllables. Traditional English spelling, however, might include silent letters or letter pairings that sound differently than how they’re spelled.