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Phonology

Phonology is the study of the sound system of a language. A language's sound system is made up of a set of phonemes which are used according to phonological rules. 

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Phonology

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Phonology is the study of the sound system of a language. A language's sound system is made up of a set of phonemes which are used according to phonological rules.

In this article, we'll look at:

  • What phonology is
  • Phonological awareness
  • Phonology in the English language and
  • Examples of phonology in linguistics
    • Assimilation, dissimilation, insertion, and deletion

Phonology meaning

Phonology describes sound contrasts which create differences in meaning within a language. Phonological systems are made up of phonemes (we'll come back to phonemes in a bit), and each language has its own phonological system. This means that the study of phonology is language-specific.

  • For example, the phoneme /ɛ/ is different from the phoneme /i:/, so if we use the word set [sɛt] instead of seat [si:t], the meaning of the word will change.

Note: slash marks are used to indicate a phoneme /t/ (an abstract segment i.e. the representation of the sound), as opposed to the square brackets [t], used to indicate a phone (a physical segment i.e. the actual sound produced).

Phonological awareness

Phonological awareness is the ability to be aware of, identify and manipulate phonological units (phonemes) in elements of spoken language such as syllables and words.

Phonological awareness comes from the analysis of the following language elements:

  • Phonemes
  • Dialects and accents
  • Phonotactics

Phonemes

A phoneme is the smallest unit of meaningful sound. Phonemes are the basic phonological units and form the building blocks of speech sounds. Phonemes are single sounds represented by a single written symbol.

Symbols from the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) are used to represent phonemes. The IPA is a system of symbols where each possible speech sound has a representative written symbol.

Minimal pairs

In Phonology, you can use minimal pairs to distinguish phonemes from each other.

A minimal pair is when two words have different meanings but only one sound (or phonemic) difference.

An example of minimal pairs in phonology would be:

  • mire /maɪə/ and mile /maɪl/.
  • bad /bæd/ and bed /bɛd/.
  • crowd /kraʊd/ and cloud /klaʊd/.
  • rock /rɒk/ and lock /lɒk/.

As you can see, these words are very similar, but each pair contains one phonemic difference which creates different meanings.

The rules for identifying minimal pairs are:

  • The words in the pair must have the same number of sounds.

  • Two or more words in the pairs must be identical in every sound except for one.

  • In each word, the sounds must be in the same position.

  • The words must have different meanings.

Dialects and accents of English

People can pronounce sounds in different ways. This can depend on multiple factors, for example:

  • Social class
  • Ethnic group
  • Speech or voice disorders
  • Education
  • Geographical area

Accent and dialect are a result of all these factors.

Dialects are variations of the same language spoken by people in particular areas or social groups. Dialects differ in pronunciation, grammatical patterns, and vocabulary. It is important to remember that whilst these factors impact speech, people can have different dialects and speak the same language.

  • For example, Scottish, Irish, Yorkshire, Cockney, Welsh English, may all be said to be dialects of the UK English language.

  • Regional dialects may differ in their pronunciation or use particular grammatical patterns or vocabulary. For example, the British English dialect does not pronounce the /r/ in words like 'car' [ka:] whereas the American English dialect often pronounces the /r/. This is called rhoticity.

Accents have developed because of regional phonological differences. Sometimes accents are based on the pronunciation of words by non-native speakers. A foreign accent is marked by the phonology of other languages.

Examples of phonological differences are:

  • The word potato: - In British English it is pronounced po-tayh-to [pəˈteɪtəʊ].- In American English it is pronounced po-tay-to [pəˈteɪˌtoʊ].
  • The word laughter:- In British English it is pronounced la-fte [ˈlɑːftə].- In American English it is pronounced la-fter [ˈlæftər].
  • The word banana:- In British English it is pronounced be-na-na [bəˈnɑːnə].- In American English it is pronounced be-nah-na [bəˈnænə].

Phonotactics

One of the branches of phonology is phonotactics.

Phonotactics is the study of the rules governing the possible phoneme sequences in a language.

- Oxford English Dictionary

Within phonotactics, we can look at syllables. A syllable is a phonological unit that involves one or more phonemes. Syllables can show us how phonemes appear in particular sequences.

Each syllable has:

  • a nucleus - always a vowel,
  • an onset and a coda - usually consonants.

Let's have a look at an example of a syllable study in phonology:

In the word cat /kaet/, /k/ is the onset, /ae/ is the nucleus and /t/ is the coda.

These are the rules concerning phoneme sequences in syllables:

  • The nucleus of a syllable is essential for the word and is the vowel in the middle of the syllable.
  • The onset is not always present but you can find it before the nucleus if it is.
  • The coda is also not always present but you can find it after the nucleus if it is.

These phonotactic rules are specific to the English language as phonology is language-specific. Other languages will have different phonotactic rules.

Phonology in the English language

As we've said, each language has its own phonology. That is, its own set of phonemes. These phoneme sets are often shown through phonemic charts.

A phonemic chart for a language contains all of the phonemes that exist in that language. It is much more specific than the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) chart which includes all possible speech sounds across all languages.

Phonological rules

Each language's phonological system contains rules which govern the pronunciation of phonemes.

Phonological rules are related to the spoken or written principles which control the changes of sounds during speech.

These describe the process of articulation (how a speaker produces speech sounds stored in the brain). Phonological rules help us understand which sounds change, what they change to, and where the change happens.

Examples of phonological rules can be divided into four types: assimilation, dissimilation, insertion, and deletion.

Examples of phonology in linguistics

We'll now look at the phonological rules: assimilation, dissimilation, insertion and deletion. Examples of these phonological rules occurring in the English language are given below. Pay attention to the examples with '/' and '[' that are used in studying phonology.

Assimilation

Assimilation is the process of changing one feature of a sound to make it similar to another.

This rule can be applied to the English plural system:

  • The -s can change from voiced to voiceless depending on whether the preceding consonant is voiced or unvoiced.

So, the English plural -s can be pronounced in different ways depending on the word it is part of, for example:

  • In the word snakes, the letter 's' is pronounced /s/.
  • In the word baths, the letter 's' is pronounced /z/.
  • In the word dresses, the letter 's' is pronounced /ɪz/.

Dissimilation

Dissimilation is the process of changing one feature of a sound to make it different.

This type of rule makes two sounds more distinguishable. It can help non-native speakers to pronounce words.

  • The pronunciation of the word chimney [ˈʧɪmni] as chimley [ˈʧɪmli], with the change of [n] to an [l].

Insertion

Insertion is the process of adding an extra sound between two others.

For example, we usually insert a voiceless stop between a nasal and a voiceless fricative to make it easier for English speakers to pronounce a word.

  • In the word strength /strɛŋθ/, we add the sound 'k' and it becomes /strɛŋkθ/.

  • In the word hamster /hæmstə/, we add the sound 'p' and it becomes /hæmpstə/.

Deletion

Deletion is the process of not pronouncing a sound (consonant, vowel, or whole syllable) present in a word or phrase, to make it easier to say.

For example:

In the phrase “you and me” [ju: ənd mi:] it is possible not to say the sound /d/.

  • You and me [ju:ənmi:].

This also occurs in some words:

  • /h/ in him [ɪm].
  • /f/ in fifth [fɪθ].

Phonology - Key takeaways

  • Phonology is the study of the “sound system” of language. It refers to the phonemes used in a language and how these are organised.

  • A phoneme is the smallest meaningful unit of sound.

  • Dialects are variations of language associated with a geographic area and social class. Accents feature regional phonological or phonetic differences.

  • Phonotactics studies the constraining rules of phoneme combinations.

  • Each language has a phonological system (set of phonemes) which can be shown in a phonemic chart.

  • Phonological rules (assimilation, dissimilation, insertion and deletion) help us understand which sounds change, what they change to, and where the change happens.

Frequently Asked Questions about Phonology

Phonology studies the patterns, rules, and organization of the sound units in a particular language. In phonology, we discuss the sounds of a language, how they can be associated with each other and create words, and explain why some these are important. 

Phonological awareness is the ability to be aware of, identify and manipulate phonological units (phonemes) in elements of spoken language such as syllables and words. 

Phonology studies the sounds of a language. It helps speakers understand and produce words, as without knowing the right articulation of a word, it is impossible to pronounce it. 

Phonological rules can be divided into four types: assimilation, dissimilation, insertion, and deletion. 

In phonology, we deal with phonemes. These are the smallest meaningful units of sound. 

Final Phonology Quiz

Phonology Quiz - Teste dein Wissen

Question

What type of writing is this example of alliteration from?

'while I pondered weak and weary'.

Show answer

Answer

Poetry.

This example of alliteration is from The Raven (1845) by Edgar Allan Poe.

Show question

Question

Is this an example of consonance that is also alliteration or consonance that is NOT also alliteration?

'Sheep should sleep in a shed'.

Show answer

Answer

Consonance that is also alliteration.


Show question

Question

How can you tell that this excerpt from Taylor Swift’s song Bad Blood is an example of alliteration?

‘‘And baby, now we’ve got bad blood.’’

Show answer

Answer

You can identify the alliteration by spotting the repeated sound ‘’b’’ at the beginning of the words.

''And baby, now we’ve got bad blood.''

Show question

Question

How can you identify that this is an example of consonance that is not also alliteration and NOT an example of alliteration?

A blessing in disguise.

Show answer

Answer

You can identify the consonance by spotting that the repeated consonant sound 's' is within the words. There is no repetition of sounds at the beginning of the words, therefore this is not an example of alliteration.

A blessing in disguise.

Show question

Question

Does this phrase contain alliteration?

Phineas and Ferb

Show answer

Answer

Yes


Show question

Question

What is the alliterative sound in this phrase?

The Wicked Witch of the West

Show answer

Answer

 The ‘’w’’ sound.

The Wicked Witch of the West

Show question

Question

Does this phrase contain alliteration?

Slender shoulders

Show answer

Answer

No


Show question

Question

Is this an example of alliteration or assonance?

'The yellow Eastern sun and the blue Eastern moon'.

Show answer

Answer

 Alliteration


Show question

Question

What type of writing is this example of alliteration from?

'Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers'.

Show answer

Answer

This alliteration is a popular tongue twister.


Show question

Question

Does this phrase contain alliteration?

'Curiosity killed the cat'.

Show answer

Answer

Yes


Show question

Question

How can you tell that this is an example of assonance and NOT an example of alliteration?

'I say goodbye as I fly'.

Show answer

Answer

You can identify the assonance by spotting that the repeated sound “y’’ is at the end of the words “goodbye’’ and “fly’’. There is no repetition of sounds at the beginning of the words, therefore this is not an example of alliteration.

'I say goodbye as I fly'.

Show question

Question

Does this name contain alliteration?

Luna Lovegood

Show answer

Answer

Yes


Show question

Question

What is the alliterative sound in this excerpt from the song Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell?

'They paved paradise and put up a parking lot'.

Show answer

Answer

 The “p’’ sound.

'They paved paradise and put up a parking lot'.

Show question

Question

What form of writing is this example of consonance from?

 

'The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard

And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks of wood'.

Show answer

Answer

Poetry.

This consonance is from Robert Frost's poem Out-Out (1961).

Show question

Question

Is this an example of consonance or assonance?

'And the day is loud with voices speaking'. (5)

Show answer

Answer

 Assonance


Show question

Question

Is this an example of consonance that is also alliteration or consonance that is NOT also alliteration?

Severus Snape

Show answer

Answer

Consonance that is also alliteration


Show question

Question

How can you identify that this is an example of assonance and NOT an example of consonance?

Hey,Nathan! Wait for me!

Show answer

Answer

You can identify the assonance by spotting the repeated vowel sound `` ey ''.

Hey, N a than! W ai t for me!

Show question

Question

Is this an example of consonance or assonance?

Twist tie

Show answer

Answer

Consonance


Show question

Question

Is this an example of consonance that is also alliteration or consonance that is NOT also alliteration?

We zigged. It zagged.

Show answer

Answer

Consonance that is also alliteration.


Show question

Question

What form of writing is this example of consonance from?

'Maggie comes fleet foot

Face full-a black soot'.

Show answer

Answer

Song lyrics.

This example of consonance is from Bob Dylan's song Subterranean Homesick Blues.

Show question

Question

How can you tell that this excerpt from the rap song Brooklyn's Finest by Jay-Z is an example of consonance and NOT an example of assonance?

'Peep the style and the way the cops sweat us'.

Show answer

Answer

 You can identify the consonance by spotting the repeated consonant sound 's'.

'Peep the style and the way the copsweat us'.

Show question

Question

Does this phrase contain consonance?

'Jazz music'.

Show answer

Answer

Yes


Show question

Question

Does this phrase contain consonance?

Jazz music

Show answer

Answer

Yes


Show question

Question

How can you tell that this is an example of consonance that is NOT also alliteration?

'Dread Pirate Roberts'.

Show answer

Answer

You can tell that this phrase is an example of consonance by spotting the repeated 'd', 'r' and 't' sounds. You can tell that it is not an example of alliteration by noticing that none of these sounds is repeated at the beginning of the words. Note that the 'd' and 'r' sounds only appear at the beginning of words once - if there were two words in the phrase starting with the 'd' sound, then the phrase would be alliterative.

Dread Pirate Roberts

Show question

Question

Does this phrase contain consonance?

'Soul music'.

Show answer

Answer

No


Show question

Question

What is the repeated consonant sound in this consonance?

George Jetson

Show answer

Answer

The sound “j” is repeated in the letters “g” and “j”. 

George Jetson

Show question

Question

What is the repeated consonant sound in this consonance?

'Traffic is making my Friday tough'.

Show answer

Answer

The sound 'f' is repeated in the letters 'f' and 'gh'.

Traffic is making my Friday tough.

Show question

Question

What is the repeated consonant sound in this consonance?

'I feel fantastic on this fine day because I had a big cup of coffee!'

Show answer

Answer

The sound 'f' is repeated in the letter 'f'.

I feel fantastic on this fine day because I had a big cup of coffee!

Show question

Question

Is this excerpt from Katy Perry's song ‘Roar’ an example of onomatopoeia?


'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar.’

Show answer

Answer

Yes

Show question

Question

What type of onomatopoeia is 'vroom'?


Show answer

Answer

An object sound

Show question

Question

What form of writing is this example of onomatopoeia from?


‘To the rolling of the bells -

Of the bells, bells, bells – ’

Show answer

Answer

Poetry.

This example of onomatopoeia is from the poem ‘The Bells’ (1849) by Edgar Allan Poe.

Show question

Question

Does this phrase from Emily Dickinson's 'I heard a Fly buzz - when I died-' contain onomatopoeia?


'While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping'. 

Show answer

Answer

 Yes


Show question

Question

How can you identify the onomatopoeic word in the following sentence?


‘Hurry up or they'll hear us and catch us!’, I whispered.

Show answer

Answer

The onomatopoeic word is ‘whispered.’ You can identify it by spotting that it is the only word in the sentence that describes a sound (to whisper is to speak softly using one's breath).

‘Hurry up or they'll hear us and catch us!’, I whispered.



Show question

Question

Is this an example of onomatopoeia?


'Jingle bells, jingle bells,

Jingle all the way.'

Show answer

Answer

Yes

Show question

Question

Which of the words in the following excerpt from Kesha's song 'Tik-Tok' are examples of onomatopoeia?


‘Don't stop, make it pop

DJ, blow my speakers up

Tonight, I'ma fight.’

‘Til we see the sunlight

Tick-tock on the clock.’

Show answer

Answer

The words 'pop' and 'tick-tock' are onomatopoeic words. 'Pop' represents a light explosive sound. 'Tick-tock' conveys the sound that a clock makes.

'Don't stop, make it pop

DJ, blow my speakers up

Tonight, I'ma fight

'Til we see the sunlight

Tick-tock  on the clock'.

Show question

Question

What form of writing is this example of onomatopoeia from?


'I was just beginning to yawn with nerves thinking he was trying to make a fool of me when I knew his tattarrattat at the door.'

Show answer

Answer

Prose.

This example of onomatopoeia is from the novel Ulysses (1920) by James Joyce.



Show question

Question

What type of onomatopoeia is 'hachoo'?

Show answer

Answer

A human sound

Show question

Question

Does this sentence contain onomatopoeia?

'It was so cold Sarah couldn't help but shiver.'

Show answer

Answer

No

Show question

Question

What type of onomatopoeia is 'zap'?

Show answer

Answer

A sound made in fictional works

Show question

Question

Which of the words in the following excerpt from the song 'Firework' by Katy Perry is an example of onomatopoeia?


'Boom, boom, boom

Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon.’

Show answer

Answer

The word 'boom' is an onomatopoeia that evokes a loud, resonant sound.

‘Boom, boom, boom

Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon.’

Show question

Question

Does this phrase contain onomatopoeia?


'Ka-ching! I just got paid!'

Show answer

Answer

Yes


Show question

Question

Which of the words in this excerpt from Emily Dickenson's poem: 'I heard a Fly buzz - When I died-' is an example of onomatopoeia?


‘I heard a fly buzz - when I died-'

the stillness in the room

was like the stillness in the air.’ 

Show answer

Answer

'Buzz'


Show question

Question

 True or False: The words team and deem are minimal pairs.

Show answer

Answer

True. The words team and deem are minimal pairs because they have different meanings but the same sounds except one.  

Show question

Question

True or False: The words lot and bad are minimal pairs. 


Show answer

Answer

False: These words are not minimal pairs. For example, the words lot and rot are, and the words had and bad are minimal pairs.

Show question

Question

Which minimal pair is correct?


Show answer

Answer

Jeep and cheap.

Show question

Question

Which pairs of words are not minimal pairs?

Show answer

Answer

Do and to.

Show question

Question

True or False: To transcribe phonemes, we use square brackets. 


Show answer

Answer

False: We use the slash brackets // to transcribe phonemes.

Show question

Question

How many phonemes are in the word weight?


Show answer

Answer

The word weight has 4 phonemes: /w/, /e/, /ɪ/, and t/.

Show question

Question

How many phonemes are in the word shoe?


Show answer

Answer

The word shoe has 2 phonemes: /ʃ/ and /uː/.

Show question

Question

How many phonemes are in the word syllable?


Show answer

Answer

The word syllable has 6 phonemes: /ˈs/, /ɪ/, /l/, /ə/, /b/, and /l/.

Show question

Test your knowledge with multiple choice flashcards

What type of onomatopoeia is 'vroom'?

What type of onomatopoeia is 'hachoo'?

What type of onomatopoeia is 'zap'?

Next

Flashcards in Phonology166

Start learning

What type of writing is this example of alliteration from?

'while I pondered weak and weary'.

Poetry.

This example of alliteration is from The Raven (1845) by Edgar Allan Poe.

Is this an example of consonance that is also alliteration or consonance that is NOT also alliteration?

'Sheep should sleep in a shed'.

Consonance that is also alliteration.


How can you tell that this excerpt from Taylor Swift’s song Bad Blood is an example of alliteration?

‘‘And baby, now we’ve got bad blood.’’

You can identify the alliteration by spotting the repeated sound ‘’b’’ at the beginning of the words.

''And baby, now we’ve got bad blood.''

How can you identify that this is an example of consonance that is not also alliteration and NOT an example of alliteration?

A blessing in disguise.

You can identify the consonance by spotting that the repeated consonant sound 's' is within the words. There is no repetition of sounds at the beginning of the words, therefore this is not an example of alliteration.

A blessing in disguise.

Does this phrase contain alliteration?

Phineas and Ferb

Yes


What is the alliterative sound in this phrase?

The Wicked Witch of the West

 The ‘’w’’ sound.

The Wicked Witch of the West

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