This course aims at introducing students to the field of phonology and the sound patterns of human language. It examines the sound patterns in words and phrases. It is concerned with, for example, the distribution of sounds in individual languages, the sound combinations are allowed and the ?repair? strategies are adopted to deal with disallowed sound combinations, the possible syllables and the role syllables play in different languages. It also emphasizes the development of analytic skills through problem sets. And it includes discussion of recent developments in phonological theory, particularly Optimality Theory.