Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
phoneme
Noun
/ˈfoʊ.niːm/
Definition
A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in a language that can distinguish one word from another.
Examples
- In the word ‘bat’, the sounds /b/, /a/, and /t/ are individual phonemes.
- The English language has about 44 phonemes that make up the sounds of words.
Meaning
Phonemes are the basic building blocks of spoken language that help us understand and produce speech.
Synonyms
- sound unit
- speech sound
