GATE Application Date:28 Aug' 25 - 28 Sep' 25
GATE Linguistics Syllabus 2026 (XH-C3) - IIT Guwahati has published the GATE 2026 Linguistics syllabus online at, gate2026.iitg.ac.in. Aspirants can refer to the same below. The GATE Humanities and Social Sciences (XH) paper has an optional subject of Linguistics. The GATE Linguistics syllabus 2026 comprises topics based on Historical Linguistics, Sociolinguistics, Language and Linguistics, Levels of Grammar and Grammatical Analysis, Methods of Analysis, Applied Linguistics, Areal Typology, Universals and Cross-linguistic Features. Those who choose this subject must prepare using the syllabus of GATE Linguistics 2026. The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering is an online exam. GATE 2026 will be held on February 7, 8, 14 and 15, 2026.
Direct link to download the GATE 2026 Linguistics Syllabus
Aspirants can check the complete syllabus of GATE 2026 Linguistics as released by IIT Guwahati here.
Syllabus | Topics |
GATE Linguistics syllabus for Language and Linguistics |
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GATE Linguistics syllabus for Levels of Grammar and Grammatical Analysis | A. Phonetics and Phonology: Vocal tract anatomy; phonation; articulatory parameters; classification of sounds; gestural theory of speech production; cardinal vowels; secondary and coarticulation; suprasegmentals - length, stress, tone, intonation and juncture; IPA; basic physics of sound and phonation and articulation; acoustic cues for speech sounds; organisation of phones into phonemes; phoneme inventories and cross-linguistic properties; syllable structure and phonological properties; principles of phonological analysis - phonetic similarity, contrastive and complementary distribution, free variation, allophones; linear and non-linear approaches; levels of representation; phonological rules; distinctive features (major class, manner, place, etc.); feature geometry; rule ordering, markedness and unspecified featural values; core principles of lexical phonology, optimality theory, autosegmental phonology and prosodic morphology. B. Morphology: Concepts of morpheme, morph, allomorph, zero allomorph, conditions on allomorphs; lexeme and word; types of morphemes – structural and functional; affixes vs clitics; grammatical categories; morphological theories – generative, lexicalist, process and distributed morphology; identification of morphemes and parts of speech; alternation; morphophonology; inflection vs. derivation; conjugation and declension; word creation and word formation rules and processes; creativity and productivity, blocking, bracketing paradoxes, constraints on affix ordering; mental lexicon; lexical categories; valency changing operations. C. Syntax: Basic syntactic units and their types: word, phrase, clause, sentence and their description and generation; grammatical and case relations; key ideas from syntactic theories, Generative Grammars including Minimalist Program, HPSG, Relational Grammar and Lexical Functional Grammar; phrase structure rules (including X-bar theory); universal grammar and cross-linguistic properties; idea of grammaticality judgements; solving the language acquisition problem; diagnostics of structure; syntactic phenomena such as movement, binding, ellipses, case-checking, islands, argument structure etc.; unergatives and unaccusatives. D. Semantics and Pragmatics: Types of meaning, lexical and compositional; syntax-semantics interface (semantic roles, binding, scope, LF etc.); sense and reference, connotation and denotation, lexical semantic relations (homonymy, hypo/hypernymy, antonymy, synonymy, ambiguity); prototype theory and componential analysis; sentence meaning and truth conditions, contradictions, entailment; basic set theory; propositions, truth values, sentential connectives; arguments, predicates, quantifiers, variables; in/definiteness, mood and modality; language use in context; sentence meaning and utterance meaning; speech acts; deixis; presupposition and implicature: Gricean maxims; information structure; politeness, power and solidarity; discourse analysis. |
GATE Linguistics syllabus for Historical Linguistics |
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| GATE Linguistics syllabus for Sociolinguistics |
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| GATE Linguistics syllabus for Areal Typology, Universals, Cross-linguistic Features |
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| GATE Linguistics syllabus for Methods of Analysis |
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| GATE Linguistics syllabus for Applied Linguistics |
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
GATE exam 2026 will be held on February 7, 8, 14, and 15.
As per the past year exam analysis, GATE 2026 is expected to be of a moderate to difficult level.
Candidates can download the Gate Linguistics syllabus 2026 pdf on the official website.
Yes, IIT Guwahati has released the syllabus for GATE 2026.
Aspirants can start their preparation for GATE 2026 as soon as possible. Early preparation will lend you extra time for revision.
No, But any changes in the GATE syllabus shall be intimated to the students.
On Question asked by student community
Hello
As an EEE (Electrical and Electronics Engineering) graduate, your core GATE paper is EE (Electrical Engineering).
You can also choose papers like IN (Instrumentation) or EC (Electronics and Communication) if you're comfortable. GATE now allows two-paper combinations EE plus IN is a valid pair.
Choose based on your strengths and future goals (e.g., PSU jobs, M.Tech). Always check the latest GATE brochure for updated paper codes and combinations.
How to clear GATE Exam :
First, know the syllabus and exam pattern.
Make a small study plan and follow it every week.
Read from good books or trusted online notes.
Practice old GATE question papers.
Give mock tests to check speed and accuracy.
Revise your notes and formulas again and again.
How to get Job in PSU:
Score high in GATE, because PSUs take only top ranks.
Keep checking PSU job notices regularly.
Apply on time with your GATE score.
Be ready for interviews or group discussions.
Work on subject knowledge and also your communication skills.
Yes, it will be acceptable. In GATE registration, the name should match your valid photo ID proof in terms of spelling, not the order. Many Indian IDs have surname written first, while the portal generates it as first–middle–last. Since all three parts of your name (Vikash, Rameshbhai, Bhagel) are correct, there won’t be any issue. Just ensure you upload the correct ID proof. During verification, they check spelling, photo, and signature, not the word order.
Hello,
Yes, you can change your category from General to OBC during the GATE 2026 correction window.
GATE always allows candidates to correct details like category. You will need to pay a small correction fee for this change. Make sure you upload a valid OBC certificate as per the format and date mentioned by GATE.
So, wait for the correction window, log in to your application, and update your category to OBC.
Hope it helps !
Hello! If you are preparing for GATE, there are plenty of free resources available online that can boost your preparation. You can easily access e-books, handwritten notes, subject wise PYQs, and test series shared by toppers on different platforms. Along with that, free PDFs and study material are available through various websites and Telegram channels. To make it easier, I will be attaching the link where you can find preparation tips, a study timetable, free study materials, and previous year question papers all in one place.
https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/gate-preparation-timetable
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