Dictionary

Phonem

German → American English

American English

phoneme

kleinste bedeutungsunterscheidende Einheit des Sprachlautsystems

Im Deutschen ist /p/ ein Phonem.

Use Phonem in linguistics for the smallest sound unit that can change meaning; it is a technical term and not used as a general synonym for 'sound'.

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Frequently asked questions

What does Phonem mean in English?

Phonem means “phoneme” in English: the smallest sound unit that can distinguish meaning in a language.

Is Phonem the same as Laut?

Not exactly. A Laut is a speech sound in general, while a Phonem is a sound unit that can distinguish meaning.

How do you use Phonem in a sentence?

You can say: Das Deutsche hat viele Phoneme. = German has many phonemes.