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Linguistics

Notes simple (i.e. ‘broad’) transcription is used. However, when there are complementary allophones
of a phoneme, so that the allophony is significant, things become more complicated. Often, if
only one of the allophones is simple to transcribe, in the sense of not requiring diacritics, then
that representation is chosen for the phoneme.
• An allophonic rule is a phonological rule that indicates which allophone realizes a phoneme in
a given phonemic environment. In other words, an allophonic rule is a rule that converts the
phonemes in a phonemic transcription into the allophones of the corresponding phonetic
transcription. Every language has a set of allophonic rules.
• A class of speech sounds that are identified by a native speaker as the same sound is called a
phoneme. The different phonetic realizations of a phoneme are called allophones.
• Thus [p ] and [p] are the allophones of the same phoneme in English; Whereas in Hindi, [p ]
h
h
and [p] are different phonemes.
11.5 Key-Words
1. Monophthongs : They are front vowels, back vowels and central vowels.
2. Diphthong : It is a speech sound in which the articulatery mechanism moves continuously
from an initial vowel position to a final vowel position.
11.6 Review Questions

1. What are Diphthongs? Discribe their articulation in different classifications.
2. Define Monophthongs.
3. Discuss the concept of Allophones.
Answers: Self-Assessment

1. (i) geIt ‘gate’ (ii)k υt ‘’ (iii) bIt ‘bit’
e
(iv) taI d ‘tired’ (v) bi:t ‘beat’ (vi)p υk ‘poke’
e
e
(vii) ka:t ‘cart’ (viii)k :t ‘caught’ (ix)paυ ‘power’
e
(x)k :d ‘cord’ (xi) gæp ‘gap’ (xii)bI d ‘beard’
e
(xiii) ka: ‘car’ (xiv) peId ‘paid’ (xv)g Λ t ‘gut’
(xvi)daυt ‘doubt’ (xvii)t υd ‘toad’ (xviii) du: ‘do’
e
(xix)pe ‘pair’ (xx) dek ‘deck’
e
11.7 Further Readings

1. Verma, S.K., V.N. Krishnaswamy. Modern Linguistics: An Introduction.
2. An Introduction to Linguistics, John Lyon.
3. Peter Roach: English phonetics and phonology. Cambridge University Press.
4. Encyclopedia of Linguistic Science Edited By V. Prakasam, Allied Pub.,
New Delhi.

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