jam1 wai6音位
Jyutpingjam1 wai6
Yaleyām waih
Definition
Phoneme; the smallest contrastive unit in a phonological system.
neutralother
How it's used
This is a technical term used primarily in linguistics and language studies rather than daily conversation. It refers to the smallest unit of sound that distinguishes one word from another in a language. You will rarely hear this outside of a classroom or academic discussion about phonology.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
This phoneme is very important in Cantonese.
Do you know how to pronounce this phoneme?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 聲母 or 韻母, but those refer to the structural parts of a syllable rather than the abstract functional unit of sound. Avoid using it to describe general pronunciation or accent.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- TonesCantonese has six tones, and the tones can change in certain grammatical contexts. Learn the six tones and the rules for tone change.
- Time and datesClock time, days of the week, months, and years. The patterns you need to make plans and talk about when things happen.
- Modal verbsHow to say can, will, may, should, must, and want. The core modal verbs of Cantonese and the differences that trip up beginners.
