ItalianLesson 3 of 3 in the course Italian phonology

Gemination: Consonant Length, Phonology, and Spelling

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Gemination is the lengthening of a consonant, a feature that can change how a word sounds and sometimes what it means. This lesson introduces the distinction between long and short consonants and explains how gemination relates to stress and writing.

Gemination, also called consonant lengthening, occurs when a consonant is articulated for longer than its short, or singleton, counterpart. It is a difference in duration, not simply a difference in loudness or emphasis.

All flashcards

Gemination
Pronouncing a consonant for longer than its corresponding singleton.
Singleton consonant
A consonant with short duration, contrasted with a geminate.
Geminated stop
A stop consonant produced with prolonged closure before its release.
Sandhi
A sound process associated with the boundary between words or morphemes.
Degemination
The shortening of a long consonant.

Quiz questions

  1. Which symbol commonly marks a long consonant in the International Phonetic Alphabet?Answer: The triangular length mark ː
  2. In a geminated stop, which part is prolonged?Answer: The closure before the release
  3. What does the small Japanese character っ typically indicate before a consonant?Answer: Gemination of the following consonant
  4. In standard English pronunciation, what does the doubled n in “running” normally represent?Answer: A spelling convention, not a long [n]
  5. In Italian, when is a vowel generally long?Answer: In a stressed, non-word-final open syllable

Based on the Wikipedia article Gemination, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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