English Phonology

TheSoundSystemofAmericanEnglish
 KeyTerms
Phonemeaunitofsoundsignificantina
specificlanguage(E.g.,/s/isaphonemein
EnglishwhiletheGermanchsound/x/isnot)
GraphemeThesymbols(letters)usedina
writingsystemsuchasouralphabet
DigraphAsinglesoundrepresentedbytwo
letters(e.g.,th,sh,ea)
PhoneticAlphabetacollectionofsymbolsused
forwritingwordsphonetically
 MoreTerms
Allophoneavariantofaphoneme;oftennot
noticedbynativespeakers(e.g,spin,pin)
MinimalPairTwowordsthatarepronouncedthe
sameexceptforonesound(e.g.,Sue,zoo)
VoicedSoundAsoundproducedwiththevocal
folds(cords)vibrating(e.g.voiced/z/asopposed
tovoiceless/s/)
Diphthongadoublevowelsoundtwovowels
appearingtogetherasthenucleusofasyllable
TheVocal
Tract
TheVocalFolds(orCords)

Quic kTime and a

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are needed to see this pic ture.
TheConsonantsofEnglish
TheVowelsofEnglish
 PhoneticTranscription
Horseshoes [horsuz]
Matches [mc\z]
Bookend [bknd]
Is [z]
Pain medicine [pen md\sn]
Thorns [ornz]
Breathe [bri]
 AllomorphsBasedonPhonology
Thepluralmorpheme
[s]afteravoicelessconsonant
[z]afteravoicedconsonant
[\z]afterasibilant(s,z,sh[s],[z],ch[c],orj
[j])

Thepasttensemorpheme
[d]afteravoicedsound,
[t]afteravoicelesssound
[\d]aftera[t]or[d]
 AllomorphsBasedonPhonology
Thenegativeprefix/in/n
[m]beforealabial(e.g.,impossible,immovable,
imbalance)
[]beforeavelar(e.g.,incorrect,ingratitude)
[r]before/r/(e.g.,irreversible)
[l]before/l/(e.g.,illogical)
Otherexamplesofassimilation
Conduct,compel,colleague,corrode
Synergy,symmetry,syllogism
Admit,abbreviate,account,annul,appeal,arrive,assign,
attend,alleviate
Submit,succeed,sufficient,suggest,support,surreptitious
 VowelDeletion
Deletethelastvowelofamorphemeifthe
followingmorphemebeginswithavowel
Antiagainst,opposite Anti+pathy Ant+agonize
Apoaway,from,off Apo+logy Ap+androus
Cataback,down,away Cata+log Cat+egory
Diathrough,between Dia+meter Di+uretic
Metabeyond,after Meta+morphic Met+onymy

Workswithsomerootsandsuffixes:
autoself auto+graph aut+ism
misohate miso+gyny mis+anthrope
ateadjectivesuffix cre+ate cre+at+ion

Notifprefixisonlyonesyllable:re+act;bi+ennial
 E/ODeletion
Deletetheeoroofamorphemeendinginerororofa
morphemeifthefollowingmorphemebeginswithavowel

Matermother Mater+nal Matr+ilineal

Member Dis+member Membr+ane
Meter Dia+meter Metr+ic
Act Act+or Actr+ess
Enter Entr+ance
 SDeletion
Deleteansaftertheprefixex
Spir In+spire Ex+pire
Ser In+sert Ex+ert
Secu Con+secu+tive Ex+ecutive
Sist Re+sist Ex+ist

NDeletion
Deletethenoftheprefixanbeforeaconsonant:

Examples:a+theist,a+pathy,a+symmetry,a+trophy
Butnot:an+emic,an+archy,an+orexic,an+
hydrous
 VowelAlternations

/a/changesto/e/inotherthanfirstsyllable
E.,g,annual/biennial;apt/inept;
damnation/condemn
/e/changesto/i/inotherthanfirstsyllable
E.g.,regular;incorrigible;spec
ulate/conspicuous