Which term means phonological change in word structure?

• A. Metatesis
• B. Salitang pambansa
• C. Mapaniil
• D. Wastong paraan

Answer: (A)

Metathesis involves rearranging sounds within a word, a phonological change that changes word structure by swapping the order of adjacent sounds rather than adding or removing sounds. A common example is how some speakers say “ask” as “aks,” where the sounds /s/ and /k/ switch places to yield /æks/. This illustrates how pronunciation can shift the internal sequence of sounds while keeping the same overall meaning.

The other terms don’t describe this kind of internal sound reordering. Salitang pambansa refers to national-language words, mapaniil is related to coercion, and wastong paraan means a proper or correct method. None of these describe the process of changing the arrangement of sounds within a word.