allophone

plural allophones

1. human sciencesAny of two or more alternative pronunciations for a phoneme.

   In some languages, [ʋ] is an allophone of /v/.

   1 more example

   In the former the bilabial phone forms an allophone of the phoneme /v/ in word-final position after /a/ and an allophone of the phoneme /u/ when it is preceded by an obstruent and followed by /a/; […]

   2003, Mikhail Sergeevich Andronov, A Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian Languages, Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, →ISBN, page 33

2. A person whose mother tongue is one other than that spoken by the majority.
   1. CanadaA person whose mother tongue is neither English, French, nor (sometimes) an indigenous language.

      However, “the languages used by STM staff during customer interactions are French and English,” the transit authority said. “Indeed, during phone calls or emails, STM employees speak English with anglophone or allophone customers who do not speak French.”

      2025 April 24, Andy Riga, quoting Société de transport de Montréal, “No Habs No: Quebec orders STM to drop ‘Go’ from bus messages because it’s an English word”, in The Gazette, Montreal, →ISSN, archived from the original on 25 Apr 2025

comparative more allophone · superlative most allophone

1. CanadaOf or relating to those whose mother tongue is neither English, French, nor (sometimes) an indigenous language of Canada.

   As immigration increases from different parts of the world, the linguistic makeup of Canada changes. In 2006, the allophone population—individuals whose mother tongue is neither English nor French—totalled 6.3 million, […]

   2010, Statistics Canada, Canada Year, →ISBN

   1 more example

   In every case the allophone population is vastly larger than the proportion of francophones, which ranges from 4.2 percent […] from other parts of Canada more than international immigration from abroad: despite a growing allophone presence, […]

   2010, Charles Boberg, The English Language in Canada: Status, History and Comparative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 23

2. That which is of a language other than that spoken by the majority.