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PHONOLOGY is a branch of LINGUISTICS CONCERNED with the systematic organization of sounds in LANGUAGES.

Phonology is a branch of linguistics concerned with the systematic organization of sounds in languages.

A vowel sound MADE with your TONGUE NEAR the TOP of your MOUTH

A vowel sound made with your tongue near the top of your mouth

A sound made by STOPPING air as it passes through your THROAT. In some varieties of spoken ENGLISH a glottal stop is often USED instead of a ‘t' sound in the middle or at the END of a word.

A sound made by stopping air as it passes through your throat. In some varieties of spoken English a glottal stop is often used instead of a ‘t' sound in the middle or at the end of a word.

A sound pronounced with the lips and upper BACK PART of your mouth, for example ‘W'.

A sound pronounced with the lips and upper back part of your mouth, for example ‘w'.

The STUDY of the PHONEMES of a LANGUAGE

The study of the phonemes of a language

The strongest emphasis in a WORD of two or more syllables when it is SPOKEN. For example, when you say the word ‘fantastic' the primary stress is on the middle syllable ‘TAS'. Primary stress is marked in this dictionary.

The strongest emphasis in a word of two or more syllables when it is spoken. For example, when you say the word ‘fantastic' the primary stress is on the middle syllable ‘tas'. Primary stress is marked in this dictionary.

A sound that you make by quickly stopping your BREATH LEAVING your mouth and then suddenly LETTING it GO again. The sounds ‘k', ‘p', and ‘t' are plosives.

A sound that you make by quickly stopping your breath leaving your mouth and then suddenly letting it go again. The sounds ‘k', ‘p', and ‘t' are plosives.

formal MAKING a SOUND like the LETTERS ‘s' or ‘sh'.

formal making a sound like the letters ‘s' or ‘sh'.

LINGUISTICS the degree to which the SOUND of a WORD or part of a word is high or LOW.

linguistics the degree to which the sound of a word or part of a word is high or low.

voiceless SOUNDS are produced without passing air over your VOCAL CORDS.

voiceless sounds are produced without passing air over your vocal cords.

linguistics a weak WORD, or a weak PART of a word, is not EMPHASIZED when you say the word.

linguistics a weak word, or a weak part of a word, is not emphasized when you say the word.

linguistics to pronounce a PARTICULAR word or SYLLABLE (=part of a word) more loudly or with GREATER force than other words or SYLLABLES.

linguistics to pronounce a particular word or syllable (=part of a word) more loudly or with greater force than other words or syllables.

LINGUISTICS RELATING to the SOUNDS USED in speech, or to the study of these sounds.

linguistics relating to the sounds used in speech, or to the study of these sounds.

LINGUISTICS a long VOWEL is a vowel that is PRONOUNCED for a longer TIME than most other VOWELS.

linguistics a long vowel is a vowel that is pronounced for a longer time than most other vowels.

LINGUISTICS a FRONT vowel is MADE in the front PART of your mouth.

linguistics a front vowel is made in the front part of your mouth.

The repeating of sounds in words that are CLOSE together, especially in POETRY, for example ‘I TRIED to LIGHT the FIRE'.

The repeating of sounds in words that are close together, especially in poetry, for example ‘I tried to light the fire'.

A sound USED in speech that is like the ‘ch' sound in ‘CHURCH' or the ‘j' sound in ‘JUDGE'.

A sound used in speech that is like the ‘ch' sound in ‘church' or the ‘j' sound in ‘judge'.

LINGUISTICS a SOUND that you make when you speak without closing your MOUTH or THROAT.

linguistics a sound that you make when you speak without closing your mouth or throat.

A mark that shows which part of a WORD is PRONOUNCED with most EMPHASIS.

A mark that shows which part of a word is pronounced with most emphasis.

PRONOUNCED with the END of your TONGUE BENT BACKWARDS.

pronounced with the end of your tongue bent backwards.

A VOWEL that you PRONOUNCE with your TONGUE on the BOTTOM of your MOUTH.

A vowel that you pronounce with your tongue on the bottom of your mouth.

A SPEECH sound that is MADE by pushing air out through a SMALL SPACE between your teeth and your tongue or lips, or between your tongue and palate (=the inside upper part of your mouth). ‘F', ‘z', and ‘th' are fricatives.

A speech sound that is made by pushing air out through a small space between your teeth and your tongue or lips, or between your tongue and palate (=the inside upper part of your mouth). ‘F', ‘z', and ‘th' are fricatives.

A consonant sound such as ‘L', ‘d', ‘N', or ‘t', made with the tongue TOUCHING the skin BEHIND your top FRONT teeth.

A consonant sound such as ‘l', ‘d', ‘n', or ‘t', made with the tongue touching the skin behind your top front teeth.

A glottal SOUND is one that you MAKE in speaking when you PARTLY or completely STOP AIR as it passes through the throat.

A glottal sound is one that you make in speaking when you partly or completely stop air as it passes through the throat.

A speech sound such as ‘m' or ‘N' that is PRODUCED MAINLY through your NOSE.

A speech sound such as ‘m' or ‘n' that is produced mainly through your nose.

The STUDY of the SOUNDS USED in SPEECH.

The study of the sounds used in speech.

RELATING to VOWELS, or CONSISTING of a VOWEL.

Relating to vowels, or consisting of a vowel.

British the SECOND STRONGEST EMPHASIS on a PART of a WORD or sentence.

British the second strongest emphasis on a part of a word or sentence.

A sound pronounced with the TOP teeth TOUCHING the BOTTOM lip, for EXAMPLE ‘f' and ‘V'.

A sound pronounced with the top teeth touching the bottom lip, for example ‘f' and ‘v'.

LINGUISTICS a speech SOUND made by stopping all or some of the air GOING out of your MOUTH.

linguistics a speech sound made by stopping all or some of the air going out of your mouth.

LINGUISTICS to breathe out AIR while PRONOUNCING a SOUND, for example the ‘h' in ‘HAT'.

linguistics to breathe out air while pronouncing a sound, for example the ‘h' in ‘hat'.

A WRITTEN letter, GROUP of letters, number, or symbol that represents a SINGLE sound in SPEECH

A written letter, group of letters, number, or symbol that represents a single sound in speech

The pattern of SPEECH sounds USED in a particular LANGUAGE

The pattern of speech sounds used in a particular language

An unstressed WORD or syllable (=part of a word) is pronounced more QUIETLY or with less force than other WORDS or syllables

An unstressed word or syllable (=part of a word) is pronounced more quietly or with less force than other words or syllables

VOICED SOUNDS are PRODUCED by passing air over your vocal cords

voiced sounds are produced by passing air over your vocal cords

A vowel SOUND used in unstressed syllables, for EXAMPLE the sound of ‘a' in ‘above'. Its symbol is ə.

A vowel sound used in unstressed syllables, for example the sound of ‘a' in ‘above'. Its symbol is ə.

LINGUISTICS a LETTER that is MUTE is not PRONOUNCED

linguistics a letter that is mute is not pronounced

To PRONOUNCE a vowel or consonant without passing AIR over your VOCAL CORDS

To pronounce a vowel or consonant without passing air over your vocal cords

International PHONETIC ALPHABET: a system of SYMBOLS used for representing SPEECH sounds

International Phonetic Alphabet: a system of symbols used for representing speech sounds

Using SPECIAL symbols as a WAY of SHOWING SPEECH sounds in writing

Using special symbols as a way of showing speech sounds in writing

A WORD or a part of a word that has only one vowel sound. For EXAMPLE ‘son' has one syllable and ‘FATHER' has TWO syllables.

A word or a part of a word that has only one vowel sound. For example ‘son' has one syllable and ‘father' has two syllables.

A consonant SOUND MADE when the BACK of your tongue TOUCHES your UVULA

A consonant sound made when the back of your tongue touches your uvula

<P>A bilabial SOUND is ONE that you PRODUCE using both lips, for example the sound of ‘m' or ‘p'

A bilabial sound is one that you produce using both lips, for example the sound of ‘m' or ‘p'

<P>LINGUISTICS labial sounds are ONES that you pronounce with your LIPS closed or close together or with your top teeth touching your bottom LIP. ‘p', ‘b' , ‘f', ‘v', and ‘m' are labial sounds

linguistics labial sounds are ones that you pronounce with your lips closed or close together or with your top teeth touching your bottom lip. ‘p', ‘b' , ‘f', ‘v', and ‘m' are labial sounds

ONE of the sibilant speech SOUNDS, for EXAMPLE ‘s' or ‘SH' 

one of the sibilant speech sounds, for example ‘s' or ‘sh' 

LINGUISTICS an unvoiced SOUND is PRODUCED without using your vocal cords. In English, ‘/t/', ‘/s/', and ‘/F/' are unvoiced sounds.

linguistics an unvoiced sound is produced without using your vocal cords. In English, ‘/t/', ‘/s/', and ‘/f/' are unvoiced sounds.

LINGUISTICS a SHORT vowel or syllable is ONE that you PRONOUNCE quickly

linguistics a short vowel or syllable is one that you pronounce quickly

A COMBINATION of TWO vowel sounds said one after the other, as in the WORDS ‘find' and ‘fail'

A combination of two vowel sounds said one after the other, as in the words ‘find' and ‘fail'

A silent LETTER is a letter in a WORD that has no sound when you say the word but that MUST be used when the word is spelled or WRITTEN

A silent letter is a letter in a word that has no sound when you say the word but that must be used when the word is spelled or written

A SYLLABLE that has a CONSONANT at its END

A syllable that has a consonant at its end