The Sound Patterns of Language

By Gage Hoover
English 420
Spring 2024
https://vimeo.com/936286722/49c310b9f0?sh
are=copy
 Phonology

● Phonology- The study of the sound patterns of

language
Phoneme

● A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in

a language that can distinguish words and
convey meaning. It is a basic building
block of spoken language, representing
distinctive sounds that can differentiate
one word from another.
● These are considered to be abstract
representations rather than physical
sounds.
● Minimal pairs
Phone

● A phone is a speech sound that is

physically distinguishable from other
speech sounds.
● Greek for “Voice” or “Sound”
● Each word is broken up into individual
sounds.
Allophone

● An allophone is a term used to

describe the group of phones
represented by a single phoneme in a
particular language.
● Do not change the meaning of words
but represent different sounds of the
same phoneme.
How to teach this?

● Minimal pairs worksheet.

 References
Minimal Pairs Worksheets. (n.d.). 15 Worksheets.com. Retrieved April 18, 2024, from https://15worksheets.com/worksheet-category/minimal-pairs/#google_vignette

Phone (Phonetics): Explanation, List & Symbols | StudySmarter. (n.d.). StudySmarter UK. https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/english/phonetics/phone/

University of Sheffield. (2022, November 15). Phonology. Www.sheffield.ac.uk.

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/linguistics/home/all-about-linguistics/about-website/branches-linguistics/phonology

What’s the difference between PHONE and PHONEME? (2023). Www.youtube.com; LeMMe TeaCh Ya! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4SsyHXExbM