Who developed the first phonetic writing circa 3500 BC?

The first phonetic writing system is generally attributed to the Sumerians around 3500 BC. Their cuneiform script, initially pictographic, evolved to represent sounds, making it the first known phonetic system.

While the exact origins and development of phonetic writing are complex and still being debated by scholars, the Sumerians are widely recognized as the pioneers in this crucial step in human communication.