Even though there is variation in the way phonemes can sound, we rarely, if ever, notice these differences. We classify speech sounds as one phoneme or another. This phenomenon is known as the categorical perception of:

Question

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Categorical perception refers to the way our brain categorizes speech sounds into distinct phonemes, despite variation in their acoustic properties. This allows us to recognize words even when the sounds that make them up are pronounced slightly differently by different speakers or in different contexts.

Even Though There Is Variation in the Way Phonemes Can