ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

THL Simplified Phonetic Transcription

Alright kiddo, have you ever heard someone say a word and you wanted to know how it would be written down? That's where phonetic transcription comes in!

When we speak or write, we use letters to represent different sounds. But sometimes, there are sounds or words that are hard to spell or write down. That's where simplified phonetic transcription comes in! It's like a special code that helps us write down the sounds we hear in words.

For example, let's say you hear someone say the word "cat" but they say it differently, maybe more like "kaht". With phonetic transcription, we can write it down like this: /kæt/. The symbols in the slash marks show us how to say the word, even if it sounds a little different than usual.

Phonetic transcription can be especially helpful for people learning a new language or for people with speech difficulties. By using phonetic symbols instead of regular letters, we can make sure we're saying and writing things correctly.

So there you have it, kiddo - phonetic transcription is like a special code that helps us write down the sounds we hear in words!