Allophonic

/ˌæloʊˈfɑnɪk/ adjective

Definition

Relating to or involving allophones; describing variation in sounds that belongs to the same phoneme.

Etymology

Adjective form derived from 'allophone' with the suffix '-ic,' meaning 'of or relating to allophones.'

Kelly Says

When linguists say something is 'allophonic variation,' they mean the language is letting different sounds do the same job—it's how languages efficiently handle the messy reality of human speech.

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