Meaning

(phonology) Any of two or more alternative pronunciations for a phoneme..

Definitions by Sense

1. (phonology) Any of two or more alternative pronunciations for a phoneme.
2. A person whose mother tongue is one other than that spoken by the majority.
3. (Canada) Of or relating to those whose mother tongue is neither English, French, nor (sometimes) an indigenous language of Canada.
4. That which is of a language other than that spoken by the majority.

Example Sentences

In some languages, [ʋ] is an allophone of /v/.

In the former the bilabial phone forms an allophone of the phoneme /v/ in word-final position after /a/ and an allophone of the phoneme /u/ when it is preceded by an obstruent and followed by /a/; […]

In every case the allophone population is vastly larger than the proportion of francophones, which ranges from 4.2 percent […] from other parts of Canada more than international immigration from abroad: despite a growing allophone presence, […]

As immigration increases from different parts of the world, the linguistic makeup of Canada changes. In 2006, the allophone population—individuals whose mother tongue is neither English nor French—totalled 6.3 million, […]

Word Forms

• allophones
• more allophone
• most allophone

Related Words

When Should You Use Allophone?

Use allophone when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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