iotacism

aɪˈɒtəsɪzəm

Definitions

1. noun

a change in the pronunciation of a vowel or diphthong due to the influence of a preceding or following vowel that is not pronounced in the same way

“The linguist studied the phenomenon of iotacism in ancient languages.”

Synonyms

  • sound change
  • vocal shift

Antonyms

  • phonetic consistency
  • sound retention