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allomorphy
This term is a specialized technical expression used almost exclusively within the field of linguistics. It describes the relationship between different phonetic realizations of the same underlying morpheme, such as the varying sounds of the English plural suffix. Because it refers to a systemic linguistic phenomenon, it is used in academic and descriptive contexts rather than in general conversation.
As an abstract noun denoting a linguistic property or process, this word is uncountable. It describes a state of being or a characteristic of a language system, meaning it does not take a plural form and cannot be counted with numbers.
Meanings
The phenomenon in linguistics where a single morpheme has two or more different phonetic forms, known as allomorphs, which are distributed according to the phonetic environment.
The plural marker in English exhibits allomorphy, appearing as /s/ in cats, /z/ in dogs, and /əz/ in buses.