Allomorphs are:

Allomorphs are:

• A. Distinct morphemes with different meanings
• B. Variants of a single morpheme
• C. The same as phonemes
• D. A type of free morpheme

Answer: (B)

Allomorphs are variants of a single morpheme. They are different pronunciations of the same unit of meaning, chosen according to the phonological or grammatical context. For example, the plural marker in English is one morpheme that can be pronounced as [s], [z], or [ɪz], depending on the sounds that come before it. Even though the sound changes, the meaning remains the same—the mark of plural. They’re not separate morphemes with different meanings, and they’re not phonemes themselves. They’re usually bound forms that attach to a word. So the best way to describe allomorphs is that they are variants of a single morpheme.

Allomorphs are variants of a single morpheme. They are different pronunciations of the same unit of meaning, chosen according to the phonological or grammatical context. For example, the plural marker in English is one morpheme that can be pronounced as [s], [z], or [ɪz], depending on the sounds that come before it. Even though the sound changes, the meaning remains the same—the mark of plural. They’re not separate morphemes with different meanings, and they’re not phonemes themselves. They’re usually bound forms that attach to a word. So the best way to describe allomorphs is that they are variants of a single morpheme.