Models of phonology

Different models of phonology contribute to our knowledge of phonological representations and processes:

• In classical phonemics, phonemes and their possible combinations are central.
• In standard generative phonology, distinctive features are central. A stream of speech is portrayed as linear sequence of discrete sound-segments. Each segment is composed of simultaneously occurring features.
• In non-linear models of phonology, a stream of speech is represented as multidimensional, not simply as a linear sequence of sound segments. These non-linear models grew out of generative phonology:
  o autosegmental phonology
  o metrical phonology
  o lexical phonology

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