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distinctive feature definition

distinctive feature

Linguis. any of the set of phonetic characteristics that, when variously grouped together, distinguish one phoneme from another the bundle of distinctive features for the phoneme /m/ includes [+ consonant] and [+ nasal], while the one for the phoneme /p/ includes [+ consonant] and [- nasal]

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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