Here's a breakdown:
* Phoneme: The smallest unit of sound that can distinguish meaning in a language. For example, the "p" sound in "pin" and the "p" sound in "spin" represent the same phoneme, even though they sound slightly different.
* Allophone: Different pronunciations of the same phoneme. These variations are usually caused by the sounds around them.
Example:
* The "p" sound in "pin" is aspirated (a puff of air comes out after the sound).
* The "p" sound in "spin" is unaspirated (no puff of air).
Both sounds are allophones of the same phoneme /p/ because they don't change the meaning of the word. The difference in pronunciation is predictable based on the surrounding sounds.
Key Points:
* Allophones are predictable variations of a phoneme.
* They don't change the meaning of a word.
* They are often influenced by the sounds around them.
Let me know if you have any other questions!