This document provides definitions of phonetics from multiple sources. Phonetics is summarized as the scientific study of human speech sounds, including their articulation, acoustic properties, perception, production, transmission and reception. Phonetics analyzes and describes speech sounds and provides means for classifying sounds produced by the human vocal tract.

1. Definition
of
Phonetics

2. Definition of Phonetics
Malmberg (1963, p.1): the
study of sounds of language
 Langacker (1967, p.6): … the
analysis of speech sounds with
their articulation, acoustic
property and perception
O’Connor, (1973, p.105): the
study of speech sounds

3. Ladefoged (1975, p.1): Phonetics
is concerned with describing the
speech sounds that occur in the
languages of the world.

4. Definition of Phonetics
Catford (1988, p.1): Phonetics is the
systematic study of human speech-
sounds. It provides means of describing
and classifying virtually all the sounds that
can be produced by human vocal tracts.
Lyons (2002, p.66): the study of the phonic
medium
Yule (2008, p.30): the general study of the
characteristics of speech sounds
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

5. Definition of Phonetics

6. Definition of Phonetics

9. Roach (2000, p. 1): a general theory
about speech sounds.
Clark and Yallop (1995, pp. 1-2): the
study of articulatory, acoustic and
auditory facets of speech
Crystal (2003, p. 349): the science
which studies the characteristics of
human sound-making, especially
those sounds used in speech, and
provides methods for their

10. Defining characteristics of Phonetics
Phonetics is a science or a scientific
study.
It is the study of human vocal noise.
It gives emphasis on the study of human
speech sounds.
It studies the production, transmission
and reception of speech sounds
It transcribes the speech sounds, and
describes and classifies them on the basis
of their production.

11. Conclusion
Phonetics is the scientific study
of all human vocal noise with
special emphasis on speech
sounds in terms of their
production, transmission and
reception, including the
transcription, and description
and classification of them on