Phonology

/fəˈnɒlədʒi/

Meaning & Definition

noun

The branch of linguistics that deals with the systematic organization of sounds in languages.

Phonology examines how sounds function in particular languages or dialects.

The study of the abstract sound systems of languages, including phonemes and their patterns.

Understanding phonology is crucial for learning how different languages utilize sound.

The rules and patterns that govern the sound structure of a particular language.

Her research focused on the phonology of the indigenous languages of the region.

The mental representation and processing of sounds in human language.

Phonology plays a key role in comprehending how we produce and perceive speech.

Derived from the Greek 'phonē' meaning 'sound' and 'logia' meaning 'study of'.

phonological rules

Rules that describe the predictable sound patterns in a language.

phonological awareness

The ability to notice and manipulate sounds in spoken language.

phonemic distinction

The ability to differentiate sounds that contribute to meaning.

phoneme

The smallest unit of sound that can distinguish one word from another.

morpheme

The smallest grammatical unit in a language.

allophone

One of two or more variants of the same phoneme.

Sound study

That class on sound study is all about phonology.

Sound rules

When we talk about sound rules in linguistics, we often refer back to phonology.