Phonology is the study of how phonemes are put together and how they create meaning for the speaker of any given language. Some phonemes may have slightly different meanings or uses in two different languages, and phonology is an attempt to understand these changes in meaning. In addition, historical or diachronic phonology studies how the phonemes of a word can change over time and how this affects word meaning. Phonology also examines the patterns of how phonemes are used in a language. For example, some of these units are only used in the middle or at the end of a word but never at the beginning.
Phonology is the study of how phonemes are put together and how they create meaning for the speaker of any given language. Some phonemes may have slightly different meanings or uses in two different languages, and phonology is an attempt to understand these changes in meaning. In addition, historical or diachronic phonology studies how the phonemes of a word can change over time and how this affects word meaning. Phonology also examines the patterns of how phonemes are used in a language. For example, some of these units are only used in the middle or at the end of a word but never at the beginning.
Phonetics and phonology differ in that phonetics studies the production of sounds, and phonology studies the combination of sounds. Phonetics can be used to explore the sounds that are used in any language, but phonology looks at only one language at a time. Both depend on each other because without the production of sounds there would be no words, but without the rules to put them together, sounds would have no meaning. They work together in important ways, but both cover their own specific part of language production.
