phonology

[ fuh-nol-uh-jee, foh- ]

noun

, plural pho·nol·o·gies.

1. the study of the distribution and patterning of speech sounds in a language and of the tacit rules governing pronunciation.
2. the phonological system or the body of phonological facts of a language.

phonology

/ ˌfɒn-; ˌfəʊnəˈlɒdʒɪkəl; fəˈnɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the study of the sound system of a language or of languages in general Compare syntax syntax semantics
2. such a sound system

Derived Forms

• phonological, adjective
• phoˈnologist, noun
• ˌphonoˈlogically, adverb

Other Words From

• pho·no·log·i·cal [fohn-l-, oj, -i-k, uh, l, fon-], pho·no·log·ic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of phonology¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; phono- + -logy

Example Sentences

By the end of last year, her first full school year teaching this method, Hurt said 80% of her first-grade class had aced a phonology test — nothing she’d seen before in previous years.

From Seattle Times

“I didn’t realize that there is actually a sequential order in phonology that students should be learning their sounds — biggest to smallest,” Hurt said.

From Seattle Times

At Wellesley College, Dr. Angela Carpenter teaches the foundation of language creation, which she dices into roughly six blocks: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, grammatical rules of verbs, and nouns and what they indicate.

From The Verge

He starts with the phonology, or sound, then moves on to grammar, starting with nouns, “because they’re simpler.”

From Los Angeles Times

“He took up many difficult problems, such as Sumerian phonology, grammar and semantics, and pioneered the use of computer technology to place small fragments of Sumerian writing in their original contexts,” Foster added.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• accent
• diction
• utterance