Thursday, January 4, 2018

Idiolect

An idiolect is an individual's distinct use of language. This refers not only to vocabulary but also grammar and pronunciation. Unlike a dialect, which is shared by a group of people, an idiolect is limited to one person.

No two individuals speak and write exactly the same way. Differences can be noted in the choice of vocabulary, word order and sentence structure. With respect to pronunciation, front vowels may have a more advanced or retracted pronunciation, the frequency of an individual's voice may be higher or lower, the intensity or loudness of an utterance may be distinctive and the tempo can also vary.

An idiolect is the particular speech pattern of an individual. The term idiolect was created by linguist Bernard Block. Every speaker has his or her own idiolect.

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