phone
Plural
phones
1
an electronic device used to talk to a person who is at a different location
- I picked up the phone and dialed my friend's number.
- She always carries her phone with her for quick communication.
- The ringing of the phone interrupted the meeting.
- I received an important call on my mobile phone.
- Before the advent of smartphones, landline phones were more common.
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3
(phonetics) a distinct sound uttered, considered as a physical occurrence not as a part of the sound system
A phone is a specific sound produced during speech that can be identified as a physical sound unit. In phonetics, it refers to any distinct sound that is made, without considering its role or meaning within a particular language's sound system. For example, the "p" sound in "pat" and the "b" sound in "bat" are both phones, as they represent unique sounds produced by the vocal apparatus. Studying phones helps linguists analyze the various sounds in human speech, contributing to a better understanding of how language is formed and pronounced.
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