unphoneticadj.
/(ˌ)ʌnfəˈnɛtɪk/, U.S. /ˌənˌfoʊˈnɛdɪk/, /ˌənfəˈnɛdɪk/ Not phonetic; having no relation to speech sound or phonetics.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > writing > spelling > [adjective] > not spelled according to sound or phonetics
unphonetic1835
1835 C. W. Wall Examin. Anc. Orthogr. Jews: Pt. 1 iv. 140 The little footstool..turned out to be an unphonetic character.
1857 Ld. Campbell Lives Chief Justices III. xlviii. 153 A word of two syllables, without any unphonetic consonants.
1879 Encycl. Brit. IX. 634/2 French orthography is now quite as traditional and unphonetic as English.
1957 New Scientist 7 Mar. 34/1 The present unphonetic spelling of English is a real handicap to foreigners.
2012 J. Wilson-Howarth Glimpse of Eternal Snows (rev. ed.) 378 It [sc. Devanagri] is not easy to transliterate into the astonishingly unphonetic English language.
Derivatives
unphoˈneticness n. rare the quality of being unphonetic.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > writing > spelling > [noun] > spelling without regard for sound or phonetics
unphoneticness1888
1888 H. Sweet Hist. Eng. Sounds (new ed.) 68 Unphoneticness is mainly the result of the retention of originally phonetic spellings after they have become unphonetic through sound-change.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2014; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.1835- nightcontending
- nightconvention
- nightcoverchief
- nightcradled
- nightcrake
- nightcrawler
- nightcrawleres
- nightcrawlers
- nightcrow
- nightdamp
- nightdanger
- nightdark
- nightdew
- nightdispersing
- nightdraught
- nightdread
- nightdream
- nightdress
- nightdress bag
- nightdress case
- nightdresses
- nightdressing
- nightdrinking
- nightdrive
- nightdriving