A means of representing pronunciation, usually by use of a phonetic alphabet such as the IPA.

The recording of speech sounds in writing, using a special alphabet; eg book [buk], bath [ba:q]. Phonetic transcription (using square brackets [ ] ) makes finer distinctions than Phonemic transcription, with a narrow transcription being more accurate than a broad one. A standard sometimes applied is the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet).

Phonetic transcription (or phonetic notation) is the visual system of symbolization of the sounds occurring in spoken human language. The most common type of phonetic transcription uses a phonetic alphabet (such as the International Phonetic Alphabet).