Modification

It is also used in MORPHOLOGY to refer to a process of change within the ROOT or STEM of a FORM, as in the VOWEL changes between the singular and plural of some nouns in English (man ~ men), or in cases of SUPPLETION. In this, and related senses, the term is also found in HISTORICAL LINGUISTICS.

In PHONETICS, factors which influence the airflow in the VOCAL TRACT are often referred to as modifications, e.g. the movement of the soft PALATE, the degree of CLOSURE of the GLOTTIS. The term is also sometimes used to refer to any factors which alter the typical actions of the VOCAL ORGANS in producing the PHONEMES of a language, as in PROSODIC features, SECONDARY ARTICULATIONS, and TRANSITIONS between sounds.

Also in phonetics, the range of DIACRITIC marks which indicate variations in VOWEL and CONSONANT quality are referred to as modifiers, in the INTERNATIONAL PHONETIC ALPHABET.