Glossary: morphology and phonology

(of vowels). The degree of raising of the highest point of the tongue during the production of  vowel. Vowel height is usually divided into three or four degrees: high, mid, low or close, close-mid, open-mid and open.

The unit of frequency measure: 1 cycle per second.

Refers to a consonant cluster in which both consonants belong to different syllables, e.g. [kt] in octopus [ok.to.pus]. Contrast tautosyllabic.

A situation in which two vowels, typically in different words or morphemes, come up against each other (as in the word hiatus). Eliminated in many languages by epenthesis or other means.

The constituent structure of and dominance relations between elements in a syllable (onset, nucleus, coda, rhyme, segments), word (morphemes, bases) or sentence (words, phrases).

Sounds produced with a raised tongue body. For vowels, [i, u] as contrasted with [e, o].

One of two or more forms that sound the same but have different meanings, e.g., pear, pare, pair. Also called homophones.

See homonym.

Sharing the same place of articulation, e.g. the two consonants [mp] in the word impossible are homorganic.

The element to which a clitic attaches.