How many phonemes does the English language use

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The English language uses about 40 phonemes, which correspond to the letters of the alphabet plus several variations. The letters of the alphabet don't always represent the same sound, so there are variations such as long and short vowel sounds, and different sound combinations such as ch and sh. While humans are capable of producing around 100 phonemes, the English language only uses a subset of these. Choice A is incorrect as there are not 450,000 phonemes in the English language. Choice B is incorrect as there are more than 26 phonemes in the English language. Choice D is incorrect as not all of the 100 or so phonemes that humans can produce are used in the English language.

How Many Phonemes Does the English Language Use