Segment (linguistics)

From Freepedia

In linguistics (and phonetics), segment is used primarily “to refer to any discrete unit that can be identified, either physically or auditorily, in the stream of speech” (after A Dictionary of Linguistics & Phonetics, David Crystal, 2003, pp. 408–409).

In phonetics, the smallest perceptible segment is a phone.

In phonology, there is a subfield of segmental phonology. It deals with the analysis of speech into phonemes (or segmental phonemes), which correspond fairly well to phonetic segments of the analysed speech.

References

David Crystal, A Dictionary of Linguistics & Phonetics, Blackwell Publishing, 2003. Info at Google Print.