The chapter "The Distinctive Features and their Correlates" from the book "Preliminaries to Speech Analysis" by Robert P. Grothmann, Roman Jakobson, C. Gunnar M. Fant, and Morris Halle, explores the fundamental concepts of speech analysis. The authors discuss the nature of distinctive features in speech, which are the ultimate discrete components of language that are used to distinguish words and differentiate them within a given language. These features are identified at both the acoustic and perceptual levels and are related to articulatory prerequisites. The chapter begins by explaining how speech can be divided into ultimate units, such as syllables, and how these units convey maximum information when presented in isolation. It then delves into the concept of minimal distinctions, which are the smallest units of discrimination in a language, and how these minimal distinctions can be decomposed into smaller segments. The authors also discuss the invariance and redundant variations of distinctive features, emphasizing that the invariance of minimal distinctions can be separated from redundant features that are conditioned by adjacent phonemes. They provide examples from different languages to illustrate how redundant features can be identified and how they do not contribute to the discrimination of words. The chapter further explores the identification of distinctive features, noting that they are recognized by the receiver if they belong to the common code used by both the sender and the receiver. It highlights the importance of the dichotomous scale in linguistic structure and how it influences perception. The authors also discuss the role of language patterns in shaping perception, even for non-speech sounds. Finally, the chapter differentiates between inherent and prosodic distinctive features. Inherent features are those that appear within a sequence of phonemes but can be defined independently, while prosodic features are superposed on these inherent features and are lumped together into phonemes. The chapter concludes by emphasizing the importance of the linguistic function in the study of speech sounds at any level.The chapter "The Distinctive Features and their Correlates" from the book "Preliminaries to Speech Analysis" by Robert P. Grothmann, Roman Jakobson, C. Gunnar M. Fant, and Morris Halle, explores the fundamental concepts of speech analysis. The authors discuss the nature of distinctive features in speech, which are the ultimate discrete components of language that are used to distinguish words and differentiate them within a given language. These features are identified at both the acoustic and perceptual levels and are related to articulatory prerequisites. The chapter begins by explaining how speech can be divided into ultimate units, such as syllables, and how these units convey maximum information when presented in isolation. It then delves into the concept of minimal distinctions, which are the smallest units of discrimination in a language, and how these minimal distinctions can be decomposed into smaller segments. The authors also discuss the invariance and redundant variations of distinctive features, emphasizing that the invariance of minimal distinctions can be separated from redundant features that are conditioned by adjacent phonemes. They provide examples from different languages to illustrate how redundant features can be identified and how they do not contribute to the discrimination of words. The chapter further explores the identification of distinctive features, noting that they are recognized by the receiver if they belong to the common code used by both the sender and the receiver. It highlights the importance of the dichotomous scale in linguistic structure and how it influences perception. The authors also discuss the role of language patterns in shaping perception, even for non-speech sounds. Finally, the chapter differentiates between inherent and prosodic distinctive features. Inherent features are those that appear within a sequence of phonemes but can be defined independently, while prosodic features are superposed on these inherent features and are lumped together into phonemes. The chapter concludes by emphasizing the importance of the linguistic function in the study of speech sounds at any level.