Phoneme
The smallest unit of sound in a language that distinguishes meaning between words. Different languages have different phoneme inventories. For example, /p/ and /b/ are distinct phonemes in English because they differentiate 'pit' from 'bit'.
Real World
Japanese has no separate /l/ and /r/ phonemes, which is why native Japanese speakers may not distinguish 'light' from 'right' — the sounds are allophones of one phoneme in Japanese but distinct phonemes in English.
Exam Focus
Use slashes /p/ for phonemes and square brackets [pʰ] for allophones — examiners reward correct notation.
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