phoneme
noun/ˈfoʊniːm/
Frequency rank: #19,324 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)
Meaning
The smallest unit of sound in a language that can distinguish one word from another.
Example sentence
The word 'cat' is made up of three distinct units of sound, each known as a single phoneme.
Synonyms & related words
More words in ranks 19,301–19,400
- broilto cook food under or over direct high heat.
- eyepiecethe lens or group of lenses in an optical instrument that is closest to the eye of the observer.
- hyphaethe long, branching filaments that make up the body of a fungus
- laminaA thin layer, plate, or sheet of material, especially in a biological or geological context.
- munitionmilitary weapons, ammunition, and equipment used in warfare.
- precessionthe slow, continuous change in the orientation of a rotating body's axis.
- preemptto take action in order to prevent something from happening; to act before someone else does.
- thalamusA region deep in the brain that relays sensory and motor signals to the cerebral cortex.
- transomA horizontal beam or crossbar, especially the flat surface forming the stern of a boat, or a small window above a door.
- concoctto invent or devise something, especially a story or plan, in a clever or dishonest way.