What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
syllabic
Example
Japanese is a syllabic language, where each character represents a syllable. [syllabic: adjective]
Example
The word 'banana' is syllabic because each syllable is pronounced equally. [syllabic: adjective]
phonetic
Example
The International Phonetic Alphabet is used to represent the sounds of speech in different languages. [phonetic: adjective]
Example
The word 'cat' can be transcribed phonetically as /kæt/. [phonetically: adverb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Phonetic is more commonly used than syllabic in everyday language. Phonetic is a versatile term that covers a wide range of contexts, while syllabic is less common and refers to a specific aspect of language.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between syllabic and phonetic?
Both syllabic and phonetic can be used in formal and informal contexts, but phonetic is more versatile and can be employed in various formality levels.
