What is a phoneme?

Definition


A phoneme is the smallest contrastive unit in the sound system of a language.
Discussion


Phonologists have differing views of the phoneme. Following are the two major views considered here:


* In the American structuralist tradition, a phoneme is defined according to its allophones and environments.
* In the generative tradition, a phoneme is defined as a set of distinctive features.

Comparison


Here is a chart that compares phones and phonemes:


A phone is …


A phoneme is …

One of many possible sounds in the languages of the world.


A contrastive unit in the sound system of a particular language.

The smallest identifiable unit found in a stream of speech.


A minimal unit that serves to distinguish between meanings of words.

Pronounced in a defined way.


Pronounced in one or more ways, depending on the number of allophones.

Represented between brackets by convention.
Example:

[b], [j], [o]


Represented between slashes by convention.
Example:

/b/, /j/, /o/
Examples (English): Minimal pair


Here are examples of the phonemes /r/ and /l/ occurring in a minimal pair:


* rip
* lip



The phones [r] and [l] contrast in identical environments and are considered to be separate phonemes. The phonemes /r/ and /l/ serve to distinguish the word rip from the word lip.
Examples (English): Distinctive features


Here are examples of the English phonemes /p/ and /i/ specified as sets of distinctive features:


/p/ /i/


-syllabic +consonantal -sonorant +anterior -coronal -voice -continuant -nasal+syllabic -consonantal +sonorant +high -low -back -round +ATR -nasal