Within phonetics, a phone is:

• a speech sound or gesture considered a physical event without regard to its place in the phonology of a language
• a speech segment that possesses distinct physical or perceptual properties
• a particular occurrence of a speech segment
• the basic unit revealed via phonetic speech analysis

Phonetic symbology is always set off within [square] brackets.

The suffix -phone is used in English, to denote words which are sound related, e.g. microphone and telephone or more especially related to the speaking of a particular language. It comes from the Greek phonos meaning sound.

In the English, a variety of French-derived words ending in the suffix -phone exist to denote a connection to a specific language. A few of these words, when used as adjectives, literally mean "speaking a particular language." When used as nouns, these words can also mean a "person that speaks this particular language."

In a number of cases the meaning of the corresponding term goes far beyond its dictionary definition, bearing significant historical and cultural connotations.

Note that these terms are usually not capitalized except when in a title or at the beginning of a sentence.

In Canada, the following three words are used very commonly to refer to things and people relating to the nation's official languages:

• Anglophone — refers to an English-speaking person or something for or connected with English speakers
• Francophone — refers to a French-speaking person or something for or connected with French speakers
• Allophone — refers to someone whose first language is other than French or English.

Other words of this type with context beyond dictionary definition include:

• Hispanophone — Spanish-speaking.
• Lusophone — Portuguese-speaking.
• Russophone — Russian-speaking.
• Ukrainophone — Ukrainian speaking.