Meaning & Definition of word "Phoneme"
to
Phoneme
/ˈfoʊniːm/
noun:
- 1. A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in a language that can distinguish one word from another.
- Example: In English, the words 'bat' and 'pat' are differentiated by the initial phoneme.
- 2. Phonemes are the building blocks of speech sounds used in a particular language.
- Example: The English language has around 44 phonemes, depending on the accent.
- 3. Phonemes can be represented by one or more letters in phonetic transcription.
- Example: In the International Phonetic Alphabet, the phoneme /k/ can be represented by the letters 'c', 'k', or 'qu'.
- 4. Phonemes can appear in various combinations to form syllables and words.
- Example: The phoneme /s/ can be found at the beginning of 'sun', in the middle of 'bison', and at the end of 'hits'.
Etymology
From Greek 'phone' meaning 'sound' and 'eme' meaning 'unit'.
Common Phrases and Expressions
phonemic awareness:
The ability to hear, identify, and manipulate phonemes.
minimal pair:
Two words that differ in only one phoneme, such as 'bat' and 'pat'.
phonetic transcription:
A visual representation of speech sounds using symbols.
Related Words
phonetics:
The study of the sounds of human speech.
syllable:
A unit of pronunciation that has one vowel sound.
morpheme:
The smallest grammatical unit in a language.