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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