Pronunciation: [sˈandha͡ɪ] (IPA) 
The word "sandhi" is spelled as /ˈsʌndi/ in IPA phonetic transcription. The word originated from the Sanskrit language, and it means "a change in sound". In linguistics, "sandhi" refers to the phonetic changes that occur when two words are placed side by side. These changes usually happen in order to make the words flow more naturally. Examples of sandhi include the pronunciation of "an apple" as "a napple" and "not bad" as "nob bad".
Sandhi is a term derived from the Sanskrit language, which refers to the phonological process of sound changes that occur at the juncture of two adjacent words or syllables. It is a phenomenon that occurs in various languages, particularly in Indo-Aryan and Dravidian languages.
In the context of phonetics and phonology, sandhi describes the fusion or changes in sounds that naturally take place when words or syllables come together in speech. This process often involves modifications in pronunciation, such as the assimilation or elision of certain sounds, or the alteration of vowel qualities or consonant clusters. Sandhi is typically governed by specific rules and patterns that dictate the transformations of sounds during the concatenation of words, and such rules may vary from language to language.
The concept of sandhi is important in analyzing the phonetical structure and patterns of languages, as it contributes to the overall rhythm, flow, and ease of pronunciation. By understanding the principles of sandhi, linguists and phonologists can better comprehend how sounds interact and change in different linguistic environments, shedding light on the intricacies of speech production and perception.
Furthermore, the study of sandhi can have practical applications in fields such as language teaching, speech pathology, or automatic speech recognition systems, as it offers insights into the natural tendencies and regularities of sound changes in various languages, facilitating improved pronunciation and speech understanding.
The word "sandhi" comes from Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language. In Sanskrit, "sandhi" (संधि) means "joining" or "union". It is derived from the root word "sanh-" which means "to connect" or "to combine". In linguistic terms, "sandhi" refers to the phonological processes that occur when two words or morphemes come together in speech, leading to changes in their sounds or pronunciation.
