"This book is a refreshingly original introduction to phonology, written in a very accessible style. It will be invaluable to anyone who wishes to urge their students to critically assess different aproaches to phonological theorising, rather than simply accepting received wisdom." Philip Carr, Professor of Linguistics, Université Paul Valéry, France.

This book takes an interdisciplinary approach to phonology which departs from the mainstream tradition. Daniel Silverman introduces the key aspects of phonology, and argues that the nature of linguistic sound systems can only be understood in the context of how they are actually used and experienced by speakers and listeners. Using phonological examples from a large corpus of data, Daniel Silverman introduces phonology as a practical subject to be enjoyed, rather than as a theoretical minefield with no bearing on the reality of how people speak.

This comprehensive book is essential reading for students taking introductory phonology courses both at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Dr Daniel Silverman is the author of Phasing and Recoverability, New York: Garland, 1997.