phoneme

noun

Meaning

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

Examples

Linguists analyze how each phoneme contributes to the unique pronunciation of a specific dialect.
Changing a single phoneme in a word can completely alter its meaning, such as turning 'pin' into 'bin'.

Synonyms: sound, speech sound, allophone

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phoneme

noun

Pronunciation: /ˈfoʊniːm/

Definition

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

Examples

Linguists analyze how each phoneme contributes to the unique pronunciation of a specific dialect.
Changing a single phoneme in a word can completely alter its meaning, such as turning 'pin' into 'bin'.
Learning a new language often requires mastering phonemes that do not exist in one's native tongue.

Synonyms of phoneme

Words with a similar meaning to phoneme:

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