Speech sounds are phonological units {phoneme}|. Phonemes are not separate and independent but have sequences. Phonemes have context. People recognize phonemes only in context, because preceding and succeeding phonemes indicate current phoneme.
phonological distinctive features
Phonemes have or lack nine features. Phonemes can use consonants, vowels, pitches, silences, intonations, and stresses. Vowels are a, e, i, o, u, and y. Consonants are b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, and z. Voiced consonants are b, d, g, and z. Unvoiced consonants are p, t, k, and s. Nasal consonants are m and n. Non-nasal consonants are b, k, and s. Constricted-lip vowels and consonants are oo, w, p, and m. Unconstricted-lip vowels and consonants are i, e, k, and n.
number
People can pronounce 40 phonemes [Jaynes, 1976]. Languages typically have 12 to 67 phonemes. Phoneme number and substitutability do not relate to language type, whether isolating, agglutinative, flexional, analytic, synthetic, or polysynthetic.
Phoneme parts can have different tonal changes {mora}.
Phonemes {radical phoneme} can be word bases, with basic meaning.
Similar phonemes can become more similar or identical {assimilation, grammar}, by changing sound features.
Similar phonemes can become less similar {dissimilation}, by changing sound features.
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Date Modified: 2022.0225