Phonology vs. Semantics — What's the Difference?

Phonology is a branch of linguistics that studies how languages or dialects systematically organize their sounds (or signs, in sign languages). The term also refers to the sound system of any particular language variety.

Semantics (from Ancient Greek: σημαντικός sēmantikós, "significant") is the study of meaning, reference, or truth. The term can be used to refer to subfields of several distinct disciplines, including philosophy, linguistics and computer science.

The study of speech sounds in language or a language with reference to their distribution and patterning and to tacit rules governing pronunciation.

The study or science of meaning in language.

The sound system of a language

The competence of a speaker with regard to the interpretation of the meaning of linguistic structures.

The study of the way sounds function in languages, including phonemes, syllable structure, stress, accent, intonation, and which sounds are distinctive units within a language.

The study of relationships between signs and symbols and what they represent. Also called semasiology.

The way sounds function within a given language; a phonological system.

The meaning or the interpretation of a word, sentence, or other language form

The science or doctrine of the elementary sounds uttered by the human voice in speech, including the various distinctions, modifications, and combinations of tones; phonetics. Also, a treatise on sounds.

(linguistics) A branch of linguistics studying the meaning of words.

The study of the sound system of a given language and the analysis and classification of its phonemes

The study of the relationship between words and their meanings.

The individual meanings of words, as opposed to the overall meaning of a passage.

(computer science) The meaning of computer language constructs, in contrast to their form or syntax.

The study of the meanings of words and of the sense development of words; - formerly called semasiology.

A doctrine and philosophical approach to language and its relationship to thought and behavior, developed by Alfred Korzybski (1879-1950), which holds that the capacity to express ideas and thereby improve one's interaction with others and one's environment is enhanced by training in the more critical use of words and other symbols; - also called general semantics.

The meanings of words as they are used to achieve an effect; especially, the multiple meanings of words or the multiplicity of words having the same meaning; - used in referring to the confusion that can be caused (intentionally or unintentionally) by multiple meanings; as, there's no real difference, it's only a matter of semantics.

The study of language meaning