Phonetics is the science of speech sounds. It asks three kinds of question: how do we make a sound in the mouth, what does that sound look like as a wave, and how does the ear take it in?

Phonetics是 the science of speech sounds研究語音的科學。It它 asks three kinds of question問三種問題：how do we make a sound in the mouth我們是怎麼在嘴巴裡發出這個聲音的、what does that sound look like as a wave這個聲音以聲波來看是什麼樣子、and how does the ear take it in以及耳朵是怎麼接收它的？

Though actually, this is not the same as phonology, and students often treat the two as one word. Phonetics looks at the sounds themselves — even tiny differences that a language may not “count.” Phonology looks at the pattern inside a language: which sounds it treats as the same, and the rules they follow.

Though actually不過事實上，this is not the same as phonology這跟phonology（音韻學）不一樣，and students often treat the two as one word學生卻常把這兩個字當成同一個字。Phonetics語音學 looks at the sounds themselves看的是聲音本身——even tiny differences that a language may not "count."就連一個語言不見得「算數」的細微差異也看。Phonology音韻學 looks at the pattern inside a language看的是一個語言內部的模式：which sounds it treats as the same它把哪些聲音當成同一個、and the rules they follow以及它們遵循的規則。

Phonics is different again: that is a way of teaching children to read by matching letters to sounds. “Phonetics” is mostly a university and specialist word.

Phonics又不一樣 is different again：that是 is a way of teaching children to read by matching letters to sounds一種用字母對應聲音來教小孩讀書的方法。"Phonetics"「Phonetics」這個字 is mostly a university and specialist word主要是大學和專業用語。

In class, a teacher might say “the phonetics of this word” to mean “how you say it,” which is a looser, everyday use — useful, but not the whole science. The name of the subject takes a singular verb: phonetics is hard, not phonetics are hard.

In class在課堂上，a teacher might say "the phonetics of this word"老師可能會說「the phonetics of this word」 to mean "how you say it,"意思是「這個字怎麼唸」，which is a looser, everyday use這是比較鬆散、口語化的用法——useful, but not the whole science有用，但不是整門科學。The name of the subject這個學科的名稱 takes a singular verb要搭配單數動詞：phonetics is hard要說phonetics is hard，not phonetics are hard不能說phonetics are hard。