What are the different types of metathesis?

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What are the different types of metathesis?

Metathesis is a phonological process that involves the rearrangement of sounds within a word. There are several types of metathesis that occur in different languages:

1. Adjacent Metathesis: This type of metathesis involves the swapping of two adjacent sounds within a word. For example, in English, the word "ask" is sometimes pronounced as "aks" due to adjacent metathesis.

2. Non-Adjacent Metathesis: In this type, sounds that are not adjacent to each other are rearranged within a word. For instance, in some dialects of English, the word "comfortable" is pronounced as "comfterble" due to non-adjacent metathesis.

3. Vowel Metathesis: This type of metathesis specifically involves the rearrangement of vowels within a word. For example, in some dialects of Spanish, the word "hospital" is pronounced as "hopital" due to vowel metathesis.

4. Consonant Metathesis: Consonant metathesis refers to the rearrangement of consonant sounds within a word. An example of this can be found in the word "ask" being pronounced as "aks" in some dialects of English.

5. Total Metathesis: Total metathesis involves the complete rearrangement of all sounds within a word. This type of metathesis is relatively rare but can be found in certain languages. An example is the word "bird" being pronounced as "brid" in some dialects of English.

It is important to note that the occurrence and frequency of metathesis can vary across languages and dialects.