adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/fəˈniː.mɪk/
Received-Pronunciation:/fəʊˈniː.mɪk/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, General-American:/fəˈni.mɪk/
Canada, General-American:/foʊˈni.mɪk/
Australian:/fəˈniː.mɪk/
rhymes with -iːmɪk
CMU ARPABET:F AH0 N IY1 M IH0 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Relating to phonemes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
Examples
We've finished our phonemic analysis and we're ready to move on to morphology.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Relating to a difference between sounds that can change the meaning of words in a language.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
Examples
Tone is phonemic in Chinese.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Corresponding precisely and consistently with the phonemes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
Examples
Spanish orthography is highly phonemic: you can tell exactly how the words sound just by looking at how they are spelled.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective
Meaning 4
of or relating to phonemes of a particular language
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
phonemic analysis
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adverb
Meaning 5
by phonemics
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
phonemically transcribed
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English phoneme Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English phonemic From phoneme + -ic.
Across languages
Translations
37 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
հնչույթային
(hnčʻuytʻayin)
— relating to phonemes
Catalan:
fonemàtic
— relating to phonemes
Dutch:
fonemisch
— relating to phonemes
Finnish:
foneeminen
— relating to phonemes
French:
phonémique
— relating to phonemes
Galician:
fonémico
— relating to phonemes
German:
phonemisch
— relating to phonemes
Hindi:
ध्वन्यात्मक
(dhvanyātmak)
— relating to phonemes
Indonesian:
fonemis
— relating to phonemes
Interlingua:
phonemic
— relating to phonemes
Italian:
fonematico
— relating to phonemes
Italian:
fonemico
— relating to phonemes
Malay:
fonemik
— relating to phonemes
Occitan:
fonemic
— relating to phonemes
Polish:
fonemiczny
— relating to phonemes
Portuguese:
fonémico
— relating to phonemes
Portuguese:
fonêmico
— relating to phonemes
Scottish Gaelic:
fòineimeach
— relating to phonemes
Spanish:
fonémico
— relating to phonemes
Spanish:
fonemático
— relating to phonemes
Tagalog:
multinigin
— relating to phonemes
Yiddish:
פֿאָנעמיש
(fonemish)
— relating to phonemes
Catalan:
fonemàtic
— relating to a difference between sounds that can change the meaning of words in a language
Dutch:
fonemisch
— relating to a difference between sounds that can change the meaning of words in a language
Finnish:
foneeminen
— relating to a difference between sounds that can change the meaning of words in a language
Galician:
fonémico
— relating to a difference between sounds that can change the meaning of words in a language
German:
phonemisch
— relating to a difference between sounds that can change the meaning of words in a language
Hindi:
ध्वन्यात्मक
(dhvanyātmak)
— relating to a difference between sounds that can change the meaning of words in a language
Japanese:
音韻論
(on'inron)
— relating to a difference between sounds that can change the meaning of words in a language
Portuguese:
fonémico
— relating to a difference between sounds that can change the meaning of words in a language
Portuguese:
fonêmico
— relating to a difference between sounds that can change the meaning of words in a language
Russian:
фоне́мный
(fonémnyj)
— relating to a difference between sounds that can change the meaning of words in a language
Scottish Gaelic:
fòineimeach
— relating to a difference between sounds that can change the meaning of words in a language
Sindhi:
وايومِي
(viomee)
— relating to a difference between sounds that can change the meaning of words in a language
Spanish:
fonémico
— relating to a difference between sounds that can change the meaning of words in a language
Tagalog:
multinigin
— relating to a difference between sounds that can change the meaning of words in a language
Yiddish:
פֿאָנעמיש
(fonemish)
— relating to a difference between sounds that can change the meaning of words in a language
