In linguistics, a distinctive feature is the most basic unit of phonological structure that may be analyzed in phonological theory. Distinctive features are grouped into categories according to the natural classes of segments they describe: major class features, laryngeal features, manner features, and place features.

What is the meaning of distinctive features?

Distinctive feature is defined as something unique or different that sets someone or something apart from the rest. An example of a distinctive feature is striking blue eyes. ... Any of the set of phonetic characteristics that, when variously grouped together, distinguish one phoneme from another.

What are the distinctive features of speech?

In phonological theory the building blocks of speech sounds are often argued to be what are called “distinctive features.” They typically have phonetic definitions and phonetically inspired names (e.g., [voice], [nasal], [labial]).