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Sound change and alternation
Metathesis Quantitative metathesis
Lenition Consonant gradation Consonant voicing and devoicing Assibilation Spirantization L-vocalization Debuccalization
Fortition
Epenthesis Prothesis Paragoge Unpacking Vowel breaking
Elision Apheresis Syncope Apocope Haplology Cluster reduction
Transphonologization Compensatory lengthening Nasalization Tonogenesis Floating tone
Assimilation Fusion Coarticulation Palatalization Velarization Labialization Final devoicing Metaphony (vowel harmony, umlaut) Consonant harmony
Dissimilation
Sandhi Liaison, linking R Consonant mutation Tone sandhi Vowel hiatus Synalepha Elision Crasis Synaeresis and diaeresis Synizesis
Other types Apophony Affrication Gemination Clipping Fronting Raising Betacism Iotacism Fusion Merger Compensatory lengthening Monophthongization Rhotacism Rhinoglottophilia Sulcalization Shm-reduplication Consonant mutation Vowel shift Chain shift
v t e

This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.

In historical linguistics, phonological change is any sound change that alters the distribution of phonemes in a language. In other words, a language develops a new system of oppositions among its phonemes. Old contrasts may disappear, new ones may emerge, or they may simply be rearranged.^[1] Sound change may be an impetus for changes in the phonological structures of a language (and likewise, phonological change may sway the process of sound change).^[1] One process of phonological change is rephonemicization, in which the distribution of phonemes changes by either addition of new phonemes or a reorganization of existing phonemes.^[2] Mergers and splits are types of rephonemicization and are discussed further below.

^ ^a ^b Henrich Hock, Hans (1991). Principles of Historical Linguistics (Second ed.). Berlin; New York: Walter de Gruyter. pp. 53–4.
^ Crowley, Terry; Bowern, Claire (2010). An Introduction to Historical Linguistics (4th ed.). Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press. p. 69. ISBN 9780195365542.