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What is the pattern that proves to be evidence that the two segments we are considering are allophones of one phoneme?

a) Complementary distribution
b) Overlapping distribution
c) Free distribution
d) Identical distribution

User Edwoollard
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The evidence that two segments are allophones of one phoneme is found when they exhibit complementary distribution, occurring in non-overlapping phonetic environments.

Step-by-step explanation:

The pattern that proves evidence that two segments are allophones of one phoneme is a) Complementary distribution. Allophones are variants of a single phoneme that occur in different phonetic contexts wherein one allophone appears in one set of phonetic environments and another allophone appears in a non-overlapping set of environments. For example, the English /p/ sound in 'spin' (which is aspirated and pronounced with a puff of air) vs. 'pin' (which is not aspirated).

User Beesknees
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