In this work, ZnAl₂O₄: Mn⁴⁺ phosphor is prepared by the sol-gel method. The phase structure was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and morphology and element composition were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), luminescent performance of the phosphor using photoluminescence (PL) spectra, and Raman spectroscopy. The obtained powder shows a red broad emission band peaking at 676 nm and 692 nm, corresponding to the energy transfer of electrons from ²E_g to ⁴A_2g. The Mn⁴⁺ concentration is doped at 0.5 mol% into the ZnAl₂O₄ host lattice. After that, the powder annealed at 1200℃ for 4 hours in the air revealed an average crystallite size of about 52.833 nm and a high emission intensity with (x, y) CIE colour coordinates (0.2705, 0.2741). Therefore, ZnAl₂O₄: Mn⁴⁺ phosphor could be a promising material for solid-state lighting applications.