phonotactics

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pho·no·tac·tics

P0255650 (fō′nə-tăk′tĭks)n. (used with a sing. verb) The set of allowed arrangements or sequences of speech sounds in a given language. A word beginning with the consonant cluster (zv), for example, violates the phonotactics of English, but not of Russian.
[phono- + tactics, arrangement of linguistic units; see tactics.]

phonotactics

(ˈfəʊnəʊˌtæktɪks) n (Phonetics & Phonology) (functioning as singular) linguistics the study of the possible arrangement of the sounds of a language in the words of that language[C20: from phono- + -tactics, on the model of syntactic; see syntax]

pho•no•tac•tics

(ˌfoʊ nəˈtæk tɪks)

n. (used with a sing. v.) 1. the patterns in which the phonemes of a language may combine to form sequences. 2. the study and description of such patterns. [1955–60] pho`no•tac′tic, adj.