Dissimilation is a linguistic process where a sound in a word becomes less similar to another sound nearby. This often occurs to make pronunciation easier or to avoid confusion. For example, in some dialects, the word “candle” may be pronounced as “canle,” where the “d” sound is altered to reduce similarity with the following “l” sound. This phenomenon can also be observed in various languages and is part of the broader study of phonetics and phonology. Dissimilation helps in the evolution of languages, contributing to their unique sound patterns over time. Related concepts include assimilation and metathesis.