Sound change

Sound change is a kind of language change concerning the phonological system (including phonetic realisation).

If a sound change is a general phenomenon, it is called a sound law or a phonetical rule. Exceptions to the law or rule can normally be explained by analogy.

To describe sound changes, a special notation is used:

[-son][+voiced] > [-son][-voiced] /__#

= voiced plosives, fricatives and affricates become voiceless at the end of a word (final devoicing).

andere Sprachen

German Lautwandel