Rule-based phonology

Rule-based phonology is a way of understanding how the sounds of a language change or vary through specific, predictable patterns. These patterns, called rules, explain phenomena like how certain sounds are modified depending on their context—such as the position in a word or surrounding sounds. For example, a rule might state that a sound like "t" is pronounced differently when it appears at the start of a word versus at the end. This approach helps linguists analyze and describe the systematic ways in which speech sounds behave and change within a language.