phonotactics
/ˌfoʊnəˈtæktɪks/
noun
- The set of rules in a language that describe which sounds can appear together and in what order.
- Learning the phonotactics of a new language helps you sound more natural when speaking.
- In English, phonotactics explains why 'spl' can start a word like 'splash' but 'psl' cannot.
- The word 'ng' is not allowed at the beginning of English words because of phonotactics.