Pronunciation: [ˈaftə ðˈat] (IPA) 
The spelling of "after that" can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The "af" sound is pronounced as /æf/, followed by the "t" sound pronounced as /t/. The "er" sound is pronounced as /ɚ/, which is an unstressed vowel sound, and the "th" sound is pronounced as /ð/. Finally, the "at" sound is pronounced as /æt/. Putting it all together, the phonetic transcription for "after that" would be /æftɚðæt/.
"After that" is a commonly used phrase that refers to a specific point in time following an event or action. It is used to indicate the sequence or order of events. The phrase carries the implication that something occurred or happened before the mentioned point in time.
In a literal sense, "after that" can refer to the subsequent period or moment that comes after a particular occurrence. For example, someone might say, "She finished her meal, and after that, she went for a walk." Here, "after that" emphasizes the sequence of events, indicating that the walk occurred after she finished eating.
The phrase can also be used in a more figurative sense to describe the progression of ideas or steps in a process. For instance, when telling a story, a person might say, "He made a phone call, and after that, he packed his bags." Here, "after that" signifies the logical progression of actions, indicating that packing the bags was the next step after making the phone call.
In summary, "after that" specifies the time or order in which events or actions occurred. It serves to connect and indicate the sequence of events, whether temporal or logical, highlighting what follows a particular incident or period.
The word "after" can be traced back to the Old English word "æfter", which has Germanic origins. It is related to similar words in other Germanic languages, such as German "nach" and Dutch "na". The word "that" can be traced back to the Old English word "þæt", also of Germanic origin.
