PHONE(ME) is a sound or speech unit that is psychologically a single unit and that makes a difference. Make a /z/ sound, as in zebra. Now make a /v/ sound, as in victory. The sounds or speech units /z/ and /v/ are psychologically each a single unit, and each makes a difference. The first word, after all, makes no sense if we say vebra; and zictory is equally nonsensical. בֶּ֫לֶךְ does not clearly communicate that you mean to say מֶ֫לֶךְ. Linguists use slashed lines to represent phonemes. These abstract