THE ROLE OF SPEECH SOUNDS AND PHONEMES IN MEANING CONSTRUCTION

This article explores the semantic functions of speech sounds and phonemes, highlighting their roles as fundamental components of spoken language. Speech sounds, or phones, are described as the physical units of sound produced by the vocal apparatus, while phonemes are presented as abstract units that distinguish meaning within a language. The article examines how phonemes function as differentiators of meaning by creating contrasts between words, and how speech sounds provide the medium for their realization