allophone
noun/ˈæləfoʊn/
Frequency rank: #19,955 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)
Meaning
a phonetic variant of a phoneme that does not change the meaning of a word.
Example sentence
The sound represented by the letter 't' in 'top' is one allophone of the same phoneme as the 't' in 'stop'.
Synonyms & related words
- variant
- alternant
More words in ranks 19,901–20,000
- peneplainA large, nearly flat land surface produced by long-continued erosion.
- prokaryoteA single-celled organism that has no distinct nucleus enclosed within a membrane.
- protistA eukaryotic organism that is not an animal, plant, or fungus, such as algae, amoebas, and paramecia.
- alveolusA small cavity or socket, especially one in the jawbone that holds a tooth, or a tiny air sac in the lungs.
- reductantA substance that reduces another substance by donating electrons in a chemical reaction.
- dicota flowering plant whose seed contains two embryonic leaves (cotyledons).
- lexemeThe basic unit of the vocabulary of a language, representing a word and all its inflected forms.
- chemisorptionThe chemical bonding of atoms or molecules to a solid surface, forming a strong, often irreversible attachment.
- ablautA systematic vowel change within a word to indicate grammatical function, common in Indo-European languages.
- auspiceprotection, support, or patronage given by an influential person or organization.