DELTA - Terminology - Phonology

A variation of the pronunciation of a phoneme depending on its position within a word.

e.g. light /l/ ‘like’; dark /l/ ‘will’

• Synonym
• Homophone
• Allophone
• Phonics

A manner of articulation where one articulator moves close to another but they are not close enough to cause friction or stop airflow.

e.g. /r/ /j/ /w/

• Approximant
• Nasal
• Stop airflow
• Frictional

The changing of one phoneme into another due to the proximity of another phoneme either at a word boundary or within a word.

e.g. that box /ðæpbɒks/

• Phonological dissimilation
• Phonological epenthesis
• Phonological neutralization
• Phonological assimilation

A manner of articulation where there is complete closure somewhere in the mouth with the soft palate raised. Air pressure builds up behind the closure and in then released, but less forcefully than plosives

e.g. /ʧ/ /ʤ/

• Fricatives
• Approximants
• Affricates
• Nasals

A phoneme produced when the two articulators are the bottom and top tip.

e.g. /b/, /m/

• bilabial

• /p/
• /t/
• /k/

The smooth linking of words in connected speech, involving the way sounds are fused together at word boundaries. First ends with C, second starts with V.

e.g. an orange /ənɒrɪnʤ/ 

• Connected Sound Blending
• Catenation

• Word Fusion
• Vowel-Consonant Linking

A combination of two adjacent vowel sounds within the same syllable. The position of articulation is different between the beginning and end.

e.g. /aɪ/

• diphthong
• consonant
• vowel
• syllable

The omission of one or more sounds, either at the boundary between two words or within a word. This can include whole syllables.

e.g. this and that /ðɪsənðæt/

• inclusion
• expansion
• contraction
• elision

A manner of articulation caused by two vocal organs being close enough together so that the movement of air between them can be heard

e.g. /f/ /v/ /θ/ /ð/ /s/ /z/ /ʃ/ /ʒ/ /h/ 

• fricative
• liquid
• plosive
• nasal

A type of consonant sound produced by obstructing airflow in the glottis. 

e.g. in the exclamation, ‘uh-oh’ there is a glottal stop between the 2 syllables 

• Glottal stop
• Nasal stop
• Labial stop
• Alveolar stop