Hljóðrænni

Hljóðrænni is a term used in Icelandic linguistics to denote the sound-related aspect of language. It refers to phenomena associated with how speech sounds are produced, heard, and organized in a language. In practice, hljóðrænni serves as a broad label for study within phonetics and phonology.

Phonetics, known in Icelandic as hljóðfræði, concerns the physical properties of speech sounds: articulation, acoustics, and perception. Phonology focuses on the abstract system of sounds in a language—the inventory of phonemes, contrastive patterns, and the rules by which sounds interact, such as assimilation and syllable structure. Together, these areas describe how sounds function and vary.

Hljóðrænni research also informs how languages are written, since sound systems influence spelling conventions and transcription. Scholars commonly use phonetic transcription, such as the International Phonetic Alphabet, to document sound systems.

As a field of study, hljóðrænni encompasses dialect variation and historical change, including shifts in pronunciation over time. It provides tools for describing pronunciation in dictionaries, grammars, and language documentation.

Related topics include phonetics, phonology, prosody, and orthography.