phonotactics

American

[foh-nuh-tak-tiks] / ˌfoʊ nəˈtæk tɪks /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

the patterns in which the phonemes of a language may combine to form sequences.
the study and description of such patterns.

phonotactics British

/ ˈfəʊnəʊˌtæktɪks /

noun

(functioning as singular) linguistics the study of the possible arrangement of the sounds of a language in the words of that language

"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

Etymology

Origin of phonotactics

First recorded in 1955–60; see origin at phonotactic, -ics

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023