What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
phonological
Example
Phonological rules determine how sounds are combined to form words. [phonological: adjective]
Example
The phonological structure of English is different from that of Chinese. [phonological: adjective]
phonetic
Example
The phonetic transcription of the word 'cat' is /kæt/. [phonetic: adjective]
Example
She is studying phonetics to learn more about the sounds of different languages. [phonetics: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Phonetic is more commonly used than phonological in everyday language, especially in fields such as speech therapy and forensic linguistics. However, both terms are important in linguistics and language teaching.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between phonological and phonetic?
Both phonological and phonetic are technical terms used in linguistics and language teaching, making them more formal than everyday language.
