Phonetics: The Sounds of Language

1. Phonetics: The Sounds of Language The Phonetic Alphabet

2. What is Phonetics? Phonetics: “The science, study, analysis and classification of speech sounds, including their production, transmission, and reception.” • Pei Mario (1966) 205.

3. The main branches Acoustic phonetics- deals with the physical properties of the sounds. Auditoryphonetics- studies listeners perception of these sounds. Articulatory phonetics- how the vocal tract produces the sounds.

4. History • Although phonetics has a long history the first serious attempt to codify a universal phonetic alphabet encompassing a symbol for every known speech sound began with the International Phonetic Association (IPA) in 1888. It was continued by Daniel Jones and Paul Passy two influential British linguists. • IPA Homepage. tm

6. History • Daniel Jones demonstrates a kymograph i.e. a device for recording air pressure and speech movements and a palatogram to help adult foreigners learn to speak English like a native and acquire good pronunciation. • http://waij.com/oldbooks/phonetics

7. Table 6.6 Phonetic Symbols • Table 6.6 on page 264-265 of you text gives the Phonetic Symbol/English Spelling Correspondences for American English consonants and vowels.

8. WordTranscription Though [ ] The anatomy of a phonetic transcription

9. Though [th-ou-gh] Step # 1Break word into constituent elements

10. Though [th-ou-gh] th= ? ou=? gh=? Step # 2Assign correct phonetic symbols to each unit

11. Though [th-ou-gh] th= δ ou=o gh=silent Step # 2Assign correct phonetic symbols to each unit

12. SpellingPronunciation Though [δo ] Correct Phonetic Transcription

13. SpellingPronunciation Thought [ ] Practice # 2

14. Thought [th-ou-ght] th= θ ou=כֿ gh=silent t=t Practice # 2Assign correct phonetic symbols to each unit

15. SpellingPronunciation Thought [θכֿt] Transcription # 2

16. SpellingPronunciation rough [ ] Practice # 3

17. SpellingPronunciation rough [rΛf] Transcription # 3

18. SpellingPronunciation bough [ ] Practice # 4

19. SpellingPronunciation bough [baw] Transcription # 4

20. SpellingPronunciation Through [ ] Practice # 5

21. SpellingPronunciation Through [θru] Transcription # 5

22. SpellingPronunciation would [ ] Practice # 6

23. SpellingPronunciation would [wUd] Transcription # 6

24. SpellingPronunciation tu [] French Transcription

25. SpellingPronunciation tu [ty] French Transcription

26. The pièce de résistance question 8 page 270-271 Write a phonetic transcription of the italicized words in the poem entitled “English” published long ago in a British newspaper.

27. The English Poem • I take it you already know • Of tough and bough and cough and dough? • Some may stumble, but not you, • On hiccough, thorough, slough and through? • So now you are ready, perhaps, • To learn of less familiar traps? • Beware of heard, a dreadful word • That looks like beard and sounds like bird . • And dead , it’s said like bed, not bead; • For goodness’ sake, don’t call it deed ! • Watch out for meat and great and threat . • (They rhyme with suite and straight and debt .) • A moth is not a moth in mother , • Nor both in bother, broth in brother .

28. The English poem line 1 • I take it you already know

29. The English poem line 1 • I take it you already know • Know= [no]

30. Line 2 • Of tough and bough and cough and dough?

31. Line # 2 transcribed • Of tough [tΛf] and bough [baw] and cough [kэf] and dough [do]?

32. Line 3 • Some may stumble, butnot you

33. Line 3 transcribed • Some may stumble, butnot you [ju]

34. Line 4 • On hiccough, thorough, slough and through?

35. Line 4 transcribed • On hiccough [hΙkΛp], thorough [θəro], slough [slu] and through [θru]?

36. Line 5 and 6 • So now you are ready, perhaps, • To learn of less familiar traps?

37. Line 7 • Beware of heard, a dreadful word

38. Line 7 transcribed • Beware of heard [hΛrd], a dreadful word [wΛrd]

39. Line 8 • That looks like beard and sounds like bird.

40. Line 8 transcribed • That looks like beard [bird] and sounds like bird [bΛrd].

41. Line 9 • And dead, it’s said like bed, not bead;

42. Line 9 transcribed • And dead [dεd], it’s said [sεd] like bed [bεd], not bead [bid];

43. Line 10 • For goodness’ sake, don’t call it deed!

44. Line 10 transcribed • For goodness’ sake, don’t call it deed [did]!

45. Line 11 • Watch out for meat and great and threat.

46. Line 11 transcribed • Watch out for meat [mit] and great [gret] and threat [θrεt].

47. Line 12 • (They rhyme with suite and straight and debt.)

48. Line 12 transcribed • (They rhyme with suite [swit] and straight [stret] and debt [dεt].)

49. Line 13 • A moth is not a moth in mother

50. Line 13 transcribed • A moth [mэθ] is not a moth in mother [mΛδər]