Thursday, 5 March 2026, 9:16 PM
Site: The TEFL Academy e-Learning
Course: The TEFL Academy e-Learning (e-learning)
Glossary: TEFL Glossary
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Phonetic transcription

The visual representation of speech sounds using symbols, often from the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).

Phonetics

Is the science of describing language sounds. It uses special symbols and terminology to describe the way sounds are made and how they combine to form words. Phonetics studies letters & speech sounds.

Phonics

A system for teaching people how to read. It is based on the idea that there is a relationship between sounds and letters. Phonics is the correlation between sounds and letters/symbols in an alphabetic writing system.

Phonological error

The wrong sound is vocalised in a word e.g. ‘led’ instead of ‘read’



Phrasal Structures

Combinations of words that create specific meanings, often involving verbs and prepositions (e.g., "give up," "look after").

phrasal verb

It is a multi-word verb combining a verb and an adverb (adverbial particle). Together the two words usually have a different meaning from what the individual meanings of the words suggest (e.g, blow up). Verb + preposition combinations (e.g., look at) are sometimes called phrasal verbs (there is disagreement about this). Phrasal verbs can be transitive or intransitive. 

Transitive phrasal verbs may be separable or inseparable, e.g., take off  is separable:  take off your hat/take your hat off.

'Look after' is inseparable: I looked after the children. NOT *I looked the children after.

Phrase

A group of words that work together but do not contain a subject-verb pair (e.g., in the morning, after the meal).

placement test

It is a test designed to find out students' current level in order to place them in the correct class.

plenary

The final stage of a lesson is sometimes called the plenary. Its purpose is to bring together and summarise what has been done in that day's lesson.

plosive

A plosive is a sound formed by completely stopping and then releasing the flow of air (e.g., /p/ and /g/). Plosives are also called stops.