Abstract
<jats:p>Generally, regular phonological change occurs when a contextual phonological alternation involving features, segments, and quantity, and even metrical structure, becomes opaque to the native speaker. This can happen if the original context alters, and the predictable alternation becomes unpredictable. Loans, in substantial quantity, can also lead to change, although native speakers tend to be conservative in their adaptation. A question could be asked as to whether orthography can have an effect on language change. Orthographical changes are recorded, such as those conducted in German or Dutch, but these were governed by phonological changes rather than the other way around. Maintaining a one‐to‐one correspondence between orthography and phonology has been tried (as in Korean) but, sooner or later, phonological changes make the correspondences less transparent.</jats:p>