TEFL Glossary

Preliminary English Test -  a Cambridge English examination for students at B1 level.

A phoneme in a language is the unit of sound that distinguishes one word from another, for example, /t/ and /d/.

A phoneme in a language is the unit of sound that distinguishes one word from another, for example, /t/ and /d/.

Describes how speech sounds are represented in writing or symbols.

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

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.

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.

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

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.