What is generative phonology?

Definition
	Generative phonology is a component of generative grammar that assigns the correct phonetic representations to utterances in such a way as to reflect a native speaker’s internalized grammar.

Discussion
	The following are crucial components of generative phonology:
	Levels of phonological representation Generative phonology posits two levels of phonological representation: An underlying representation is the most basic form of a word before any phonological rules have been applied to it. Underlying representations show what a native speaker knows about the abstract underlying phonology of the language. A phonetic representation is the form of a word that is spoken and heard. Phonological rules Phonological rules map underlying representations onto phonological representations. They delete, insert, or change segments, or change the features of segments. Derivations Distinctive features Distinctive features make it possible to capture the generalities of phonological rules. Linearity A stream of speech is portrayed as a sequence of discrete sound segments. Each segment is composed of simultaneously occurring features.