Phonetics

Phonetics is defined as the study of the sounds of human speech using the mouth, throat, nasal and sinus cavities, and lungs.

·  The branch of linguistics that deals with the sounds of speech and their production, combination,     description, and representation by written symbols.

·  The system of sounds of a particular language

An example of phonetics is how the letter "b" in the word "bed" is spoken - you start out with your lips together. Then, air from your lungs is forced over your vocal chords, which begin to vibrate and make noise. The air then escapes through your lips as they part suddenly, which results in a "b" sound.