Author(s): Ina’am Abdul-Jabbar Abdul-Kadhim

Abstract: The word "phonetics" is notoriously difficult to pin down since, right from the start, this subfield of linguistics has dealt with two distinct but related concepts: phonemes and speech sounds. To put it simply, phonology is the scientific study of phonemes. There are three points of contact between phonology and phonetics. To begin, phonetics is a tool for characterizing unique traits. Additionally, numerous phonological patterns can be explained by phonetics. Some have referred to these two interfaces as phonology's "substantive grounding." Lastly, phonological representation is put into practice by phonetics. This interface suggests some areas that should be investigated in both disciplines: In the overlap theory, no one's identity is lost; just as land and water are distinct, so too are phonetics and phonology. A cognitive representation of language-specific information is the "output" of the phonological module, which is the specification that interfaces with phonetics. In contrast, the exemplar theory posits that when we compare new information with instances we already know, we tend to group things into preexisting categories.

Keywords: Phonetics, phonology, interface, overlap.

Article Info: Received: 08 Sep 2025; Received in revised form: 07 Oct 2025; Accepted: 11 Oct 2025; Available online: 15 Oct 2025

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.105.59