Definition of "phonemic" in English

adjective

1. (linguistics) Relating to phonemes.

   • We've finished our phonemic analysis and we're ready to move on to morphology.

2. (linguistics) Relating to a difference between sounds that can change the meaning of words in a language.

   • Tone is phonemic in Chinese.

3. (linguistics, of an orthography [writing system]) Corresponding precisely and consistently with the phonemes.

   • Spanish orthography is highly phonemic: you can tell exactly how the words sound just by looking at how they are spelled.