complementary distribution Synonyms
No Synonyms and anytonyms found
complementary distribution Meaning
complementary distribution (n)
(linguistics) a distribution of related speech sounds or forms in such a way that they only appear in different contexts
complementary distribution Sentence Examples
- In linguistics, the sounds /p/ and /b/ in English exhibit complementary distribution: /p/ appears at the beginning of words (pin) while /b/ appears between vowels (rub).
- The allophones of the "t" sound in English, the aspirated /th/ and unaspirated /t/, have complementary distribution: /th/ appears at the beginning of stressed syllables (think) and /t/ appears elsewhere (stop).
- Studying complementary distribution of sounds helps linguists identify allophones of the same phoneme.
- Although seemingly different, sounds with complementary distribution don't change the meaning of a word, unlike sounds with contrastive distribution.
- Recognizing complementary distribution allows us to predict the environment in which a particular sound will appear.
- The study of complementary distribution is essential for understanding the sound systems of different languages.
- Not all phonetically different sounds have complementary distribution; some sounds, like /l/ and /r/ in English, can appear in the same environments (play, cry).
- While complementary distribution is a strong indicator of allophony, other factors like phonetic similarity are also considered.
- Identifying complementary distribution is a key step in creating accurate phonemic inventories for languages.
- Although linguists primarily use complementary distribution to analyze spoken languages, the concept can also be applied to sign languages studying handshapes.
FAQs About the word complementary distribution
(linguistics) a distribution of related speech sounds or forms in such a way that they only appear in different contexts
No synonyms found.
No antonyms found.
In linguistics, the sounds /p/ and /b/ in English exhibit complementary distribution: /p/ appears at the beginning of words (pin) while /b/ appears between vowels (rub).
The allophones of the "t" sound in English, the aspirated /th/ and unaspirated /t/, have complementary distribution: /th/ appears at the beginning of stressed syllables (think) and /t/ appears elsewhere (stop).
Studying complementary distribution of sounds helps linguists identify allophones of the same phoneme.
Although seemingly different, sounds with complementary distribution don't change the meaning of a word, unlike sounds with contrastive distribution.
