I’m working on a Linguistics exercise and need an explanation to help me study.

minimal pairs, allophones, phonemes concept to answer 5 questions. It is a phonology problem on Finnish in English.

• Which of these sets are minimal pairs?
  • 6 pairs: [ku:zi] six / [ku:si] six
  • 4 pairs: [ku:zi] six / [ku:si] six
• Based on the list in #1 above, which are the minimal pairs with [s] and [z]?
• Look carefully at your list in #2 above. Are [s] and [z] separate phonemes, or are they allophones of the same phoneme?
• Look again at the list in #1 above. List here all of the minimal pairs with [t] and [d].
  • 2 pairs: [madon] of a worm / [maton] of a rug [kate] cover / [kade] envious
• Look carefully at the list in #4 above. Are [t] and [d] separate phonemes, or are they allophones of the same phoneme?
  • [t] and [d] are separate phonemes

[madon] of a worm / [maton] of a rug [kate] cover / [kade] envious

[li:za] Lisa / [li:sa] Lisa [kudot] failures /[katot]

[ratas] wheel / [radan] of a track

[madon] of a worm / [maton] of a rug [kate] cover / [kade] envious

[li:za] Lisa / [li:sa] Lisa

a.4 pairs: [ku:zi] six / [ku:si] six,

[li:za] Lisa / [li:sa] Lisa

[ratas] wheel / [radan] of a track [kudot] failures /[katot] roofs

b.2 pairs: [ku:zi] six / [ku:si] six

[li:za] Lisa / [li:sa] Lisa

a.[s] and [z] are allophones of the same phoneme

b.[s] and [z] are separate phonemes

b.4 pairs: [madon] of a worm / [maton] of a rug [kate] cover / [kade] envious

[ratas] wheel / [radan] of a track [kudot] failures /[katot]

a.[t] and [d] are allophones of the same phoneme