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| pho·neme [ fṓ nm ] (plural pho·nemes) |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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distinguishing speech sound: a speech sound that distinguishes one word from another, e.g. the sounds "d" and "t" in the words "bid" and "bit." A phoneme is the smallest phonetic unit that can carry meaning.
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| [Late 19th century. Via French < Greek phōnēma "sound produced" < phōnein "produce a sound" < phōnē "sound, voice"] |
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