THE OLD ENGLISH CONSONANT "F"

/f/

SOURCE: Germanic */f/

OE /f/ had two different realizations, or allophones, depending upon its phonetic environment.

1. Voiceless labiodental fricative--initially or in the vicinity of voiceless phonemes. Example: fæger "fair."

REFLEX: ME /f/

2. Voiced labiodental fricative--in the vicinity of voiced phonemes. Example: ofer "over."

REFLEX: ME /v/

SPELLING: f

SOUND