Which term denotes a distinctive sound of a language that cannot be replaced without changing meaning?

Which term denotes a distinctive sound of a language that cannot be replaced without changing meaning?

• A. Phoneme
• B. Phonology
• C. Polysemy
• D. Prosodic Features

Answer: (A)

Sounds that carry distinct meaning in a language are phonemes. A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound that can change a word’s meaning when swapped for another phoneme. For example, in English the words pat and bat differ by the initial sound /p/ versus /b/; these sounds are separate phonemes, and swapping them changes the meaning. Within a single phoneme, there can be different pronunciations called allophones (like [p] and [pʰ]), which don’t alter meaning. The other terms refer to different ideas: phonology is the study of how sounds function in a language, polysemy is about a single word having multiple related meanings, and prosodic features cover rhythm, stress, and intonation rather than the basic sound units that distinguish words.

Sounds that carry distinct meaning in a language are phonemes. A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound that can change a word’s meaning when swapped for another phoneme. For example, in English the words pat and bat differ by the initial sound /p/ versus /b/; these sounds are separate phonemes, and swapping them changes the meaning. Within a single phoneme, there can be different pronunciations called allophones (like [p] and [pʰ]), which don’t alter meaning. The other terms refer to different ideas: phonology is the study of how sounds function in a language, polysemy is about a single word having multiple related meanings, and prosodic features cover rhythm, stress, and intonation rather than the basic sound units that distinguish words.