Phonetically Based Phonology is centered around the hypothesis that phonologies are determined by phonetic principles; that is, phonetic patterns involving ease of articulation and perception are expressed linguistically as grammatical constraints. This book brings together a team of leading scholars to provide wide-ranging study of phonetically based phonology. It investigates the role of phonetics in many phonological phenomena, such as assimilation, vowel reduction, vowel harmony, syllable weight, contour tone distribution, metathesis, lenition, sonority sequencing, and the Obligatory Contour Principle (OCP), exploring in particular the phonetic bases of phonological markedness in these key areas. The analyses also illustrate several analytical strategies whereby phonological sound patterns can be related to their phonological underpinnings. Each chapter includes a tutorial discussion of the phonetics on which the phonological discussion is based. Diverse and comprehensive in its coverage.