* Phonemes are the smallest units of sound that differentiate meaning in a language. Think of them as the individual building blocks of speech (e.g., the sounds "b," "a," "t" in "bat").
* Suprasegmentals are features that go *beyond* individual phonemes. They apply to larger chunks of speech, like syllables, words, or even phrases.
Instead of "suprasegmental phonemes," you might hear the term "prosodic features" or "prosodic elements."
Examples of Prosodic Features:
* Stress: The emphasis placed on a particular syllable in a word (e.g., the first syllable in "REcord").
* Tone: The use of pitch to convey meaning (e.g., in Mandarin Chinese, changing the tone can change the meaning of a word).
* Intonation: The rise and fall of pitch over a phrase or sentence (e.g., the difference between a statement and a question).
* Rhythm: The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a language (e.g., English has a stress-timed rhythm, while French has a syllable-timed rhythm).
* Length: The duration of a sound (e.g., the difference between a short "i" and a long "i").
Why They Are Important:
Prosodic features are crucial for understanding the meaning and emotional impact of language. They can:
* Distinguish between words: "reCORD" (noun) vs. "reCORD" (verb)
* Convey grammatical information: "Is he coming?" (rising intonation) vs. "He is coming." (falling intonation)
* Express emotions: A happy statement will have a different intonation than a sad one.
In summary:
* Phonemes are the basic building blocks of sound.
* Prosodic features are features that apply to larger units of speech and contribute significantly to meaning and emotional impact.