Idiolect
The unique language system used by an individual, incorporating their distinctive vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar patterns, and speech habits.
Real World
Barack Obama's idiolect blends legal precision, African American Vernacular English features, and deliberate rhetorical pausing — a combination so distinctive that impressionists rely on it immediately for recognition.
Exam Focus
Link idiolect to identity construction: explain how specific lexical or phonological choices reflect the speaker's background, not just that they are 'unique'.
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