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phonology

Definitions of Phonology

  1. (noun) The study of speech sounds in language.
  2. (noun) The formal rules for structuring speech sounds.

Phonology Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: pho·nol·o·gy

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /fuh-nAHl-uh-jee/
  • British English – /fuh-nOl-uh-jee/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /fəˈnɑlədʒi/
  • British English – /fəˈnɒlədʒi/

Usage Notes

  • Plural: phonologies
  • Phonology focuses on the distribution and patterns of speech sounds or phonemes in addition to the rules of pronunciation that govern speech sounds.
  • Also called phonemics.
  • A linguist or specialized (noun) phonologist studies phonology to understand (adjective) phonologic or (adjective) phonological aspects of language.

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Cite the Definition of Phonology

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “phonology.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved March 29, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/phonology/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

phonology. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/phonology/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “phonology.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/phonology/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“phonology.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/phonology/>.