Meaning & Definition of word "Phoneme"
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.