Questions and Answers
Give an example of two different realizations of sounds which do not change the meaning of a word.
[den̠s] (dense with a postalveolar nasal) and [den̪s] (dense with a dental nasal)
Give an example of when different realizations of the same sound do change the meaning of a word.
[n̠i] means 'nine' (with a dental nasal) and [n̪i] means 'thing' (with a postalveolar nasal)
What is a phoneme and give an example in two languages.
A phoneme is when different sounds are placed in the same environment and the meaning of the word changes. In English, an example is /p/ and /b/. In Irish, an example is [n̪] and [n̠].
What is the minimal pairs test?
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What are allophones and give an example in two languages?
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Where else can there be differences between phonemes and allophones apart from between different languages? Give an example.
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Why are phonemes described as abstract entities?
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Describe how allophones and phonemes can change depending on the environment which they are in.
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Give 3 examples of assimilation of phonemes and 3 examples of allophones within that.
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Study Notes
Phonemes & Allophones
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Different realizations of sounds can occur without changing word meaning, e.g., [den̠s] (dense with postalveolar nasal) and [den̪s] (dense with dental nasal).
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Variations in sound can lead to different meanings, illustrated by the Irish examples: [n̠i] (nine with dental nasal) vs. [n̪i] (thing with postalveolar nasal).
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A phoneme is a sound that distinguishes meaning when placed in the same context, e.g., /p/ vs. /b/ in English and [n̪] vs. [n̠] in Irish.
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The minimal pairs test involves swapping sounds to determine if they affect a word's meaning, thus identifying phonemes.
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Allophones are variations of a phoneme that do not change the meaning within the same context, e.g., [t] and [ʔ] in English ([wɔtə] vs. [wɔʔə]) and [t͡ʃ] and [d͡ʒ] in Korean.
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Differences between phonemes and allophones also occur within dialects or age groups. For instance, children may perceive voiced and voiceless consonants as allophones, whereas adults distinguish them as separate phonemes.
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Phonemes are considered abstract because they can be realized differently by individuals due to various factors, and they are defined by their role in meaning distinction.
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Allophones change based on their phonetic environment, such as position in the word, adjacent sounds, and assimilation, where phonemes adapt to resemble neighboring sounds.
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Examples of phoneme assimilation in English include:
- /n/: becomes a dental nasal before dental consonants and a postalveolar nasal before postalveolar consonants.
- /l/: turns into a voiceless alveolar lateral approximant before voiceless consonants and a velarized lateral approximant at syllable endings or before consonants.
- /d/: changes to a voiced dental plosive before dental consonants, a postalveolar dental plosive before postalveolar consonants, and can become labialized before rounded vowels or consonants.
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Description
Test your knowledge on phonemes and allophones with this engaging quiz. Explore examples of sound variations that do and do not change word meanings, enhancing your understanding of phonetic principles. Perfect for linguistics students and enthusiasts alike.
