Phoneme

Pronunciation: /ˈfoʊniːm/

Definitions of phoneme

noun a unit of sound in a language that distinguishes one word from another, such as /p/ in 'pat' and /b/ in 'bat'

Example Sentences

A1 A phoneme is a sound in a language that can change the meaning of a word.

A2 Students at this level should be able to identify different phonemes in English words.

B1 Understanding phonemes is essential for improving pronunciation in a second language.

B2 Linguists study phonemes to analyze the sound systems of different languages.

C1 The phoneme /θ/ is found in English words like 'think' and 'bath'.

C2 Native speakers can distinguish between subtle phoneme variations that learners may struggle with.

Examples of phoneme in a Sentence

formal In linguistics, a phoneme is a distinct unit of sound in a specific language.

informal Teachers often use phonemes to help students improve their pronunciation.

slang Some people struggle with differentiating between phonemes when learning a new language.

figurative The phoneme of laughter is universal across all cultures.

Grammatical Forms of phoneme

• past tense: phonemed
• plural: phonemes
• comparative: more phonemic
• superlative: most phonemic
• present tense: phonemes
• future tense: will phoneme
• perfect tense: have phonemed
• continuous tense: is phoneming
• singular: phoneme
• positive degree: phoneme
• infinitive: to phoneme
• gerund: phoneming
• participle: phonemed

Origin and Evolution of phoneme

First Known Use: 1933 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The word 'phoneme' originated from the field of linguistics, specifically from the work of the American structural linguist Leonard Bloomfield.

Evolution of the word: The term 'phoneme' was coined by Leonard Bloomfield in his book 'Language' published in 1933. Since then, it has become a fundamental concept in phonology and has been widely used in linguistic studies to refer to the smallest unit of sound that can distinguish meaning in a language.