What does phonology study?

Phonology is the branch of linguistics that focuses on the systematic organization and patterning of sounds in languages. It delves into how sounds function within a particular language or languages, including their arrangements, relationships, and rules governing pronunciation. Understanding phonology is essential for grasping how different sounds are used to create meaning and how they may vary between different dialects or languages. This knowledge is particularly valuable in areas such as language acquisition, teaching, and linguistics, as it provides insights into the building blocks of spoken language. The other areas mentioned—meaning of words, sentence structure, and morphemes—are studied in semantics and morphology, which are distinct fields within linguistics.