phonology.

The organization and patterning of speech sounds in a language, or the study of those patterns.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• language phonology
• phonological contrast

On the page

The language’s phonology treated the two sounds as a meaningful contrast.

The study described phonology alongside the physical measurements of pronunciation.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: language analysis, sense distinction, word formation analysis, precise reference. Disciplines: academic writing, linguistics, dictionary and usage analysis. Commonness: moderately common.