This means that languages can appear to be more distantly related than they actually are due to language contact.
ðɪs mˈiːnz ðæt lˈæŋɡwɪdʒᵻz kæn ɐpˈɪɹ təbi mˈoːɹ dˈɪstəntli ɹᵻlˈeɪɾᵻd ðɐn ðeɪ ˈæktʃuːəli ɑːɹ dˈuː tə lˈæŋɡwɪdʒ kˈɑːntækt.