Phonetic change refers to the alteration in the sounds of speech over time within a language. This can occur due to various factors, including social influences, geographical separation, and the natural evolution of language. As communities interact and change, the way words are pronounced can shift, leading to new dialects or accents. An example of phonetic change is the Great Vowel Shift, which occurred in English between the 15th and 18th centuries. During this period, the pronunciation of long vowels changed significantly, affecting how words were spoken and ultimately leading to the modern pronunciation of many English words we use today.