Chapter 7 Phonology Problems
1.1 Sindhi: The three are separate phonemes. The evidence is the minimal pairs, or actually minimal triplets (1, 6, 10 which are
leaf, snakehood and forest). The relationship is not the same as in English; in English [p] and [ph] are allophones of the same
phoneme, but it is the same for /p/ and /b/ as these are also separate phonemes in English.
1.2 Italian: 1) There are minimal pairs (7, 8 which are “I dye” and “I keep” and 9, 12 which are “mushroom” and “mud”). It can
be concluded that the pairs are separate different phonemes. /i/- /є/ and /u/ - /a/.
2) [n] occurs before [t, d, s, e] or elsewhere environment and [ŋ] occurs before [k,g] or velar stops.
3) [n] and [ŋ] are in complementary distribution because they don’t share any phonetic environments. [ŋ] predictably
occurs before velar stops.
1.3 Spanish: There are no minimal pairs; therefore, they are allophones of the same phoneme. They are in complementary
distribution. [] occurs after a vowel and [d] occurs elsewhere.
Rule: /d/  // / V_V
1.6 Korean: Yes, [s] and [] are allophones of the same phoneme because they are in complementary distribution. []
occurs before [i] and [s] occurs elsewhere. It’s called palatalization.
The basic allophone is [s] and [] is derived.
1.7 Same: Yes, they are allophones of the same phoneme in complementary distribution. –voi sonorants appear after voi [h] and +voi sonorants appear elsewhere.
They appear to be in free variation (3 and 14 both have the same meaning: [] is an allophone of /t/ because there are 2
different pronunciations of “tooth”.
1.8 English: [t,s,f,p,k] condition the change. It is the class of voiceless obstruents.
Rule: [ay]  [] / [t,s,f,p, k] all –voiced obstruents (non-nasals (stops, fricatives, and affricates)
1.10 Japanese: [s] and [] are allophones of one phoneme. [h] and [f] are also allophones of one phoneme. They are in
complementary distribution. [] occurs before [i] and [s] occurs before other vowels (elsewhere). This is a kind of
assimilation known as palatalization. [f] occurs before [u] and [h] occurs elsewhere.
2.1 Tojolabal: [k] and [k] are in contrast (there are near minimal pairs). The evidence is 1 and 8, 2 and 5, and 7 and 12
2.2 Spanish: a) The fricatives occur word medially (after a vowel) and the stops occur in all other cases. [] and [] appear
word-medially, after a vowel. [b] and [g] occur in all other cases.
[b] and [g] are both stops, [] and [] are both fricatives.
b) [d] occurs elsewhere and [] occurs intervocalically.
The rule is voiced stops  voiced fricatives /after a vowel.
2.4 Canadian French: [ç] occurs before high front vowels. [t] occurs before back vowels, non high front vowels or more
simply put, elsewhere. They are allophones of 1 phoneme (complementary distribution). (ç is another symbol for ts)
2.5 German: They are allophones of the same phoneme as they are in complementary distribution. [x] occurs after back
vowels and [ç] occurs after front vowels or nonback vowels.
2.6 Old English: [f] occurs word initially or before a consonant, [v] occurs between vowels, [h] occurs word initially, [x] occurs
word finally and medially, [n] occurs before vowels, nonvelars and word finally, and [ŋ] occurs before velars.