phonology

The Ghost Phonemes of Irish

Why does the "s" in the Irish word "sláinte" sound like an "sh"? The answer lies in slender and broad…

1 week ago

The Glottal Stop’s Secret Life in English

Think the glottal stop is just for Cockney accents? Think again. This unwritten consonant is hiding in plain sight in…

1 week ago

East vs. West vs. South Slavic: What’s the Difference?

The Slavic languages are a sprawling family, divided into East, West, and South branches. But what does that split actually…

1 week ago

The Unseen Work of a Speech Pathologist

Go beyond the classroom stereotype and into the complex world of the Speech-Language Pathologist. This article uncovers the unseen science…

3 months ago

Why Portuguese Sounds Like Russian to Some

Ever listened to European Portuguese and felt a strange sense of déjà vu, thinking it sounds a bit like Russian?…

3 months ago

The Dravidian Language Family: A South Indian Enigma

Venture beyond the familiar Indo-European languages and discover the ancient Dravidian family of Southern India and Sri Lanka. From the…

3 months ago

The Case of the Stolen Letter: Compensatory Lengthening

In the history of language, sounds can vanish without a trace. Or can they? This post explores compensatory lengthening, the…

3 months ago

The Birth of a Vowel: Epenthesis Explained

Ever wonder why 'athlete' sometimes sounds like 'ath-a-lete', or 'film' like 'fi-lum'? This isn't a speech error, but a fascinating…

3 months ago

The Death of the Latin Passive

Latin once expressed complex passive ideas with a single word, like amor for "I am loved". This post explores how…

3 months ago

The Language of Avoidance: In-Law Tongues

Imagine having to learn a completely separate vocabulary just to be in the same room as your mother-in-law. For speakers…

3 months ago

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