Each
language is comprised of sounds that are part of the lexicon
of that language. These sounds are referred to as phonetic sounds, and
will be covered in depth later. Phonology, on the other hand is the
study of sound patterns within a language, that is, it is the study of the way
we pattern phonetic sounds when we speak. As native speakers, we
possess an intuitive understanding of phonetics and phonology that we are
relatively unaware of most of the time. We know that if we add the letter
-s to the end of a word to pluralize that word that in some cases, such as in
the word nuts, we pronounce the phonetic sound [s] at the
end of the word, yet at the end of other words, such as dinners, we
automatically recognize the need to use the phonetic sound [z]
instead. We cannot identify why that is, yet we know that certain words
sound correct while others do not.
Phonology
also allows us to recognize syntactic variations
in words, such as the noun trànsfer and the verb transfèr, where the accent
changes the intonation of the spoken word and therefore the meaning of what is
being said.
To learn about Semantics, click next.
(Lobeck 7-8)
Lobeck,
Anne. Discovering Grammar: An Introduction to English
Sentence Structure. New York: Oxford, 2000.