polyphonic letter

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Definitions from WordNet

Noun polyphonic letter has 1 sense

polyphone, polyphonic letter - a letter that has two or more pronunciations; "`c' is a polyphone because it is pronounced like `k' in `car' but like `s' in `cell'"
--₁ is a kind of letter, letter of the alphabet, alphabetic character

Definitions from the Web

Polyphonic Letter

Definition: A polyphonic letter refers to a written character or symbol in a language that represents more than one sound or phoneme.

Senses:

1. Linguistics: In linguistics, a polyphonic letter represents multiple phonemes or sounds, showcasing phonetic complexity within a language.

Example: In English, the letter "c" is considered a polyphonic letter as it can represent the /k/ sound in words like "cat" and the /s/ sound in words like "city".

2. Music: In music, a polyphonic letter refers to a musical note or symbol that represents multiple overlapping sounds played simultaneously.

Example: The polyphonic letter "A" in sheet music represents chords with multiple notes played together.

Usage:

1. Linguistics: Linguists study the polyphonic letters in different languages to understand their phonetic patterns and identify unique sound systems.

Example Sentence: The linguist analyzed the polyphonic letters in the indigenous language to decipher its complex phonemic structure.

2. Music: Composers and musicians use polyphonic letters to write and read music scores, indicating simultaneous harmonies or melodies.

Example Sentence: The music student struggled to decipher the polyphonic letters in the classical composition.