ABSTRACT
Term introduced by N.S.Trubetzkoy to describe allophones which can occur in the same position without causing a change in meaning, e.g. the pronunciation of /p/ in the word cap in different Eng. dialects as khæph/ khæpº/khæp′/. In this example, free variation occurs at the phonetic level, but there is also free variation on the phonemic level, when a phonemic difference is suspended in certain cases, e.g. as /i:/ or /ay/ in the pronunciation of the initial vowel sound in either. ( also complementary distribution, distribution)
References
Trubetzkoy, N.S. 1939. Grundzüge der Phonologie. Göttingen. (4th edn 1967.) phonology
