▁One ▁can ▁find ▁do z ens ▁of ▁books ▁of ▁literary ▁theory ▁bog ged ▁down ▁in ▁sign ifiers ▁and ▁sign ified s , ▁but ▁only ▁a ▁hand ful ▁that ▁refer ▁to ▁Ch om sky . ▁ ▁The ▁clear est ▁and ▁most ▁important ▁example ▁of ▁Prag ue ▁school ▁struct ural ism ▁lies ▁in ▁ph on em ics . ▁R ather ▁than ▁simply ▁compiling ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁which ▁sounds ▁occur ▁in ▁a ▁language , ▁the ▁Prag ue ▁school ▁sought ▁to ▁examine ▁how ▁they ▁were ▁related . ▁They ▁determined ▁that ▁the ▁invent ory ▁of ▁sounds ▁in ▁a ▁language ▁could ▁be ▁anal ys ed ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁contrast s . ▁Thus ▁in ▁English ▁the ▁sounds ▁/ p / ▁and ▁/ b / ▁represent ▁distinct ▁ph on emes ▁because ▁there ▁are ▁cases ▁( min imal ▁pairs ) ▁where ▁the ▁contrast ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁difference ▁between ▁two ▁distinct ▁words ▁( e . g . ▁' pat ' ▁and ▁' bat '). ▁Anal yz ing ▁sounds ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁contrast ive ▁features ▁also ▁opens ▁up ▁compar ative ▁scope — it ▁makes ▁clear , ▁for ▁instance , ▁that ▁the ▁difficulty ▁Japanese ▁speak ers ▁have ▁differenti ating ▁/ r / ▁and ▁/ l / ▁in ▁English ▁is ▁because ▁these ▁sounds ▁are ▁not ▁contrast ive ▁in ▁Japanese . ▁Ph on ology ▁would ▁become ▁the ▁parad ig m atic ▁basis ▁for ▁struct ural ism ▁in ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁different ▁fields . ▁ ▁In ▁anth rop ology ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁struct ural ▁theory ▁in ▁anth rop ology ▁and ▁social ▁anth