English Meaning & Definitions
Any alteration in the pronunciation of a sound or sequence of sounds in a language, occurring either historically over time or as a result of environmental factors in speech.
- “The Great Vowel Shift is one of the most significant examples of phonetic change in the history of the English language.”
- “Assimilation is a common type of phonetic change where a sound becomes more like a neighboring sound for ease of articulation.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “phonetic change”.
Derived from the Greek 'phōnētikos' (vocal, pertaining to speech sounds), from 'phōnē' (sound/voice), combined with the Middle English 'chaunge' (from Old French 'changier', ultimately from Latin 'cambire', to exchange). In linguistics, it refers to the historical or synchronic modification of speech sounds within a language over time.
Think of 'Phonetic' as 'Phone' (sound) and 'Change' as 'Shift'—a shift in the way sounds are spoken.
Frequently Asked Questions About “phonetic change”
1. What is the meaning of “phonetic change” in English?
In English, phonetic change (noun) is defined as: “Any alteration in the pronunciation of a sound or sequence of sounds in a language, occurring either historically over time or as a result of environmental factors in speech.”.
2. How do you use “phonetic change” in a sentence?
“The Great Vowel Shift is one of the most significant examples of phonetic change in the history of the English language.”
3. What are English synonyms of “phonetic change”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “phonetic change”?
Derived from the Greek 'phōnētikos' (vocal, pertaining to speech sounds), from 'phōnē' (sound/voice), combined with the Middle English 'chaunge' (from Old French 'changier', ultimately from Latin 'cambire', to exchange). In linguistics, it refers to the historical or synchronic modification of speech sounds within a language over time.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.