phonology

[ fuh-nol-uh-jee, foh- ]
See synonyms for: phonologyphonological on Thesaurus.com

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.

Origin of phonology

1
First recorded in 1790–1800; phono- + -logy

Other words from phonology

  • pho·no·log·i·cal [fohn-l-oj-i-kuhl, fon-], /ˌfoʊn lˈɒdʒ ɪ kəl, ˌfɒn-/, pho·no·log·ic, adjective

Words Nearby phonology

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use phonology in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for phonology

phonology

/ (fəˈnɒlədʒɪ) /


nounplural -gies
  1. the study of the sound system of a language or of languages in general: Compare syntax (def. 1), syntax (def. 2), semantics

  2. such a sound system

Derived forms of phonology

  • phonological (ˌfəʊnəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, ˌfɒn-), adjective
  • phonologically, adverb
  • phonologist, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012