Difference between revisions of "Phonology"
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'''Phonology''' is the study of the organization and use of sounds in natural languages.<ref>[http://www.sil.org/linguistics/GlossaryOfLinguisticTerms/WhatIsPhonology.htm Phonology, from LinguaLinks Library]</ref> Phonologists describe and categorize the sounds of speech using the [[IPA|international phonetic alphabet]], a system of symbols used to unambiguously represent individual speech sounds in all the world's languages. | '''Phonology''' is the study of the organization and use of sounds in natural languages.<ref>[http://www.sil.org/linguistics/GlossaryOfLinguisticTerms/WhatIsPhonology.htm Phonology, from LinguaLinks Library]</ref> Phonologists describe and categorize the sounds of speech using the [[IPA|international phonetic alphabet]], a system of symbols used to unambiguously represent individual speech sounds in all the world's languages. | ||
| + | ==Terms used in phonology== | ||
| + | A '''phoneme''' is the smallest unit of sound whose change can change the meaning of what is said.<ref>[http://grammar.about.com/od/pq/g/phonemeterm.htm Definition of phoneme]</ref> | ||
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| + | A '''minimal pair''' is a pair of words that differ by only one phoneme, e.g., ''hit'' and ''hid''. The existence or not of a minimal pair tests whether two apparently different sounds are actually phonemes.<ref>[http://grammar.about.com/od/mo/g/minpairterm.htm Definition of minimal pair]</ref> | ||
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| + | An '''allophone''' (from Greek "other" and "sound") is an audibly distinct sound that is not a separate phoneme. Examples are the aspirated initial ''p'' and unaspirated final ''p'' of ''pip.''<ref>[http://grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/allophoneterm.htm Definition of allophone]</ref> In English, there is no minimal pair, while in some languages, there could be, in which case those two sounds would be phonemes, not allophones. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
[[Category:Linguistics]] | [[Category:Linguistics]] | ||
Revision as of 13:02, October 11, 2011
Phonology is the study of the organization and use of sounds in natural languages.[1] Phonologists describe and categorize the sounds of speech using the international phonetic alphabet, a system of symbols used to unambiguously represent individual speech sounds in all the world's languages.
Terms used in phonology
A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound whose change can change the meaning of what is said.[2]
A minimal pair is a pair of words that differ by only one phoneme, e.g., hit and hid. The existence or not of a minimal pair tests whether two apparently different sounds are actually phonemes.[3]
An allophone (from Greek "other" and "sound") is an audibly distinct sound that is not a separate phoneme. Examples are the aspirated initial p and unaspirated final p of pip.[4] In English, there is no minimal pair, while in some languages, there could be, in which case those two sounds would be phonemes, not allophones.