Types of allomorphy We can divide all the roots and affixes of English into three types of allomorphy:

(1) Unchanging i.e., zero allomorphy. (2) Irregular allomorphy: these are morphemes whose variant forms are not derived from one another by regular rules. These unpredictable allomorphs are said to be opaque because the relationship between them, though historically valid, is not apparent to the ordinary speaker of the language. (3) Regular allomorphy: these are morphemes whose variation can be described in terms of regular rules; the allomorphs are predictable. Such allomorphs are said to be transparent because one can easily recognize that the two forms are variants of a single form.

Zero allomorphy Morphemes belonging to this group preserve their base form in all the derivatives where they appear. Thus in the family of the root phil love, this morpheme remains unchanged in Philadelphia, philanthropy, philology, philosophy, zoophilia.