distinctääntämisjärjestelmä

Distinctääntämisjärjestelmä, which translates to "distinct pronunciation system" or "distinctive feature system," is a linguistic concept used in phonetics and phonology. It refers to the set of phonetic features that can differentiate one phoneme from another within a specific language. These features are the minimal sound qualities that, when changed, alter the meaning of a word.

For example, in English, the difference between the /p/ sound in "pin" and the /b/ sound in "bin" is marked by the feature of voicing. The /p/ is voiceless, while the /b/ is voiced. Similarly, the difference between /t/ in "tin" and /d/ in "din" is also due to voicing. Other common distinctive features include place of articulation (e.g., bilabial vs. alveolar) and manner of articulation (e.g., stop vs. fricative).

Linguists use distinctääntämisjärjestelmä to analyze the phonological system of a language, identifying the fundamental building blocks of sound that are meaningful to native speakers. By abstracting away from the precise acoustic realization of a sound, linguists can focus on the essential phonetic differences that create meaning. This approach helps in understanding phonological rules, language acquisition, and even the development of artificial languages or speech synthesis systems. The specific set of distinctive features varies from language to language, reflecting the unique sound inventory of each.