What Is a Phoneme? The Building Blocks of Language

Recently our CCO, Marty Sarim, did an interview with Industry Beacon in the Philippines and briefly discussed how Sanas uses phonemes to do what we do. He said, “Sanas’ breakthrough [is] speech to speech synthesis, or real time speech to speech synthesis phonetically mapping sound. And …essentially…it’s a fancy way of saying we break down the phonemes. Instead of the syllables, instead of the words, and the phrases, we break down at the phoneme level so every sound that you make [with] your voice we map out a new sound.” You can see the entire interview here. 

But what exactly is a phoneme, and why is it so important? When we speak, we rarely stop to think about the tiny sounds that make up our words. Yet, these sounds—called phonemes—are fundamental to how languages function. 

Defining a Phoneme

A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in a language that can change the meaning of a word. While individual phonemes may not carry meaning on their own, swapping one phoneme for another can create an entirely different word. For example, in English, the words "bat" and "pat" differ by just one sound—the /b/ and /p/ phonemes—but that small difference completely changes the meaning.

Each language has its own set of phonemes, and their numbers can vary widely. English and Hindi, for instance, have about 44 phonemes, whereas Tagalog has only 21. These phonemes are combined in specific ways to form the words and sentences we use every day.

Types of Phonemes

Phonemes are generally classified into two main categories:

1. Vowel Phonemes – Sounds produced without any significant restriction of airflow. Examples in English include /i/ (as in "see"), /æ/ (as in "cat"), and /ʊ/ (as in "book").
2. Consonant Phonemes – Sounds produced with some restriction or closure in the vocal tract. Examples include /t/ (as in "top"), /s/ (as in "sit"), and /ʃ/ (as in "she").

Some languages make phonemic distinctions that English does not. For instance, in Hindi, there is a meaningful distinction between aspirated and unaspirated stops, like /p/ vs. /pʰ/, whereas English speakers do not use aspiration to change meaning.

Why is Understanding Phonemes Important at Sanas?

Understanding phonemes is crucial for overcoming communication barriers. Here are three key reasons why phonemes are important to Sanas’s technology:

1. Phonemes are fundamental to spoken communication because they shape how words are understood. If a speaker replaces one phoneme with another, it can lead to miscommunication or create different words entirely (e.g., "sip" vs. "zip").
2. Many non-native English speakers struggle with phonemes that don’t exist in their first language, such as the English /θ/ ("th" sound in "think"), which may be replaced with /s/ or /t/ by speakers of languages that lack this sound. Over the phone or in busy call centers these sounds can be even more difficult to understand which can cause misunderstandings.
3. Different languages and dialects have unique phonemic inventories; accents are largely defined by how phonemes are pronounced, substituted, or omitted. Recognizing these differences is key to understanding how accents form and why certain sounds are difficult for ESL speakers. Our technology has mapped these differences and can substitute the target phoneme.

By comprehending phonemes, we have advanced speech recognition technology. Our technology targets these fundamental elements and modifies mispronounced phonemes to aid and enhance communication and eliminate barriers while maintaining the agent’s individuality and voice.

Final Thoughts

Phonemes may be small, but their role in communication is enormous. They shape the way we speak and understand. At Sanas, we are taking that basic building block of speech and using it to break down barriers across the world.