Exercise 1

Exercise 2
Exercise 3

● Allo- (Greek all-) = be different from

 → 2 or more concrete/particular forms of an abstract
linguistic unit (-eme)

→ noticeable variation + not affect the underlying

linguistic unit’s function

● Example:

Graphology - writing system of a language

→ abstract: letter = grapheme

“A” “a” “a” “a” → variants = allographs

● Abstract linguistic unit = phoneme = the smallest

distinctive/contrastive unit in the sound system
● Concrete = a phone

→ a phoneme = phone 1/phone 2 → allophones

→ an allophone = one realisation of a phoneme among

others

→ [...]

E.g.: ten vs. tenth

1, A phoneme is identified through a minimal pair

E.g.: cap - cab

Serve - surf
 → differentiate words → realisation of a separate
phoneme

→ 1st Criteria for allophones: no minimal pair can be

found

2, No endangerment of intelligibility/functions

E.g.: [h] & [ŋ] in English

[h]: only before a vowel (behave)

[ŋ]: never occurs before a vowel (sing)

→ cannot be allophones!

→ articulatory similarity & phonetic similarity

If 2 or more allophones can replace one another (occur in

the same position) → free variants/in free variation

E.g.: /z/ zeal → voiceless/devoiced when whispered

Butter → glottalized or [t]

→ communicative situation + language variety + social class

+ language handicap AND no change of meaning

2 or more allophones cannot replace one another (not occur

in the same position) → their occurrence is determined by
the surrounding sounds → contextual variants/in
complementary distribution

= one allophone can only occur in a phonetic environment

and none of the others can

E.g.: cab → voiced + word-finally: voiceless