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A phoneme is considered the smallest distinctive unit of sound in a language because changes to a phoneme can create differences in word meanings and can differentiate between words. Phonemes are the building blocks of spoken language and help to convey meaning through their distinctive sounds within a language's sound system.

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Q: Why is a phoneme the smallest distinctive unit of sound in a language?
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The smallest distinctive sound unit of language is a?

The smallest distinctive sound unit of language is a phoneme. Phonemes are the basic building blocks of spoken language that distinguish one word from another.


What is the smallest distinctive sound unit in a spoken language?

The smallest distinctive sound unit in a spoken language is called a phoneme. Phonemes are the building blocks of spoken language and are combined to form words.


Is a phoneme the smallest sound in spoken language?

Yes, a phoneme is the smallest unit of sound that can distinguish meaning in a language. Changing a phoneme can result in a different word or meaning.


What is the smallest unit of sound that has meaning?

a phoneme


Which represents the smallest division of language?

A phoneme is one of the units of sound that distinguish one word from another in a particular language.


Is a phoneme the same as a syllable?

no. phoneme is the smallest unit in a sound in a word.


The smallest class of sound that makes a difference in meaning is what?

The smallest class of sound that makes a difference in meaning is called a phoneme. Phonemes are the basic units of sound that distinguish one word from another in a particular language. Changing a phoneme can result in a change in meaning.


What is a speech sound?

A speech sound, also known as a phoneme, is a distinct unit of sound in spoken language. It is the smallest unit of sound that can differentiate meaning between words. Different languages may have different sets of speech sounds.


How many in phoneme in English language?

There are about 44 phonemes in the English language, including vowels and consonants. Phonemes are the smallest units of sound that distinguish meaning in a language.


Who founded the phoneme theory?

The phoneme theory was developed by the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure in the early 20th century. He proposed that language is composed of a series of distinctive sound units called phonemes, which differentiate words and have meaning in a language.


Is a phoneme meaningless?

No, a phoneme is not meaningless. Phonemes are the smallest units of sound that can distinguish meaning in language. Changing a phoneme can change the meaning of a word, so they play a crucial role in language communication.


Is st a phoneme?

No, "st" is not a phoneme. A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound that distinguishes one word from another in a language. "St" is a consonant cluster that represents a combination of two phonemes /s/ and /t/ in English.