Ø→[ʔ]/#__V

A phonological rule which inserts a glottal stop before a word-initial vowel.
 

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Michael Ashby & John Maidment

Introducing Phonetic Science

Chapter 9: Basic phonological concepts

Chapter Summary

Contrast is the use of phonetic differences to signal the distinction between words. A pair of distinct words which differ only in one segment is a minimal pair. Two sounds which cannot mark a contrast between words may be allophones of the same basic unit (members of the same phoneme) especially if each has its own specific environments, meaning that the two are in complementary distribution. The aim of phonology is not only to establish the set of phonemes in a language, but also the patterning of these sounds, both dynamic and static. Patterns of changes in the pronunciation of words (alternations) often result from the operation of phonological processes, the same general types of process being found widely in languages. Phonological patterning can be described formally by specifying sounds (eg with rigorously defined features) and then writing rules which alter sound specifications. The internal or mental representation of a word (the underlying form) can be different from the observable (surface) form. The phonological syllable is a structure which specifies how sounds of different types can be combined. The rules for combinations (phonotactics) are different in different languages.