Which statement best describes phonemic transcription vs phonetic transcription?

• A. Phonemic uses slashes / /; Phonetic uses brackets [ ] to show surface articulation and allophones.
• B. Phonemic uses brackets [ ]; Phonetic uses slashes / /
• C. Phonemic uses braces { }; Phonetic uses parentheses ( )
• D. Phonemic uses no notation; Phonetic uses brackets [ ]

Answer: (B)

Focus on how much sound detail each transcription level records. Phonemic transcription uses slashes / / to denote phonemes—the abstract units that create meaning in a language and contrastive differences between words. It intentionally abstracts away from predictable pronunciation variations. Phonetic transcription uses square brackets [ ] to show the actual spoken sounds—the surface realization, including allophonic variation and subtle articulatory detail.

So, the description that matches standard practice is: phonemic transcription with slashes, and phonetic transcription with brackets. For example, a word might be written as /tæt/ in a broad, phonemic transcription, while a narrow, phonetic transcription could render it as [tʰæt] to show aspirated timing, or [tɾæd] in a context where the /t/ is realized as a flap. The other options mix up the notation or use nonstandard symbols, which isn’t how these two levels are conventionally represented.