In French, nasalization of vowels indicates _______, whereas in English, the same vowel nasalization indicates _______.
A) the presence of a diphthong; the absence of a diphthong
B) minimal perceptual boundaries between allophones; distinct boundaries between phonemes
C) distinct perceptual boundaries between phonemes; minimal boundaries between allophones
D) the absence of a diphthong; the presence of a diphthong

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In French, nasalization of vowels creates distinct perceptual boundaries between phonemes, whereas in English, the same vowel nasalization indicates minimal boundaries between allophones. This means that in French, a nasal vowel (such as /ã/ or /ɔ̃/) is a completely different phoneme than a non-nasal vowel (such as /a/ or /ɔ/), and changing the nasality of the vowel can change the meaning of a word. In English, on the other hand, nasalization of vowels is largely predictable and does not result in a change in meaning, but rather in a change in the phonetic realization of a vowel phoneme (such as the difference between the vowel in "hat" and "hand").

In French, Nasalization of Vowels Indicates _______, Whereas in English