Phonetics and Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology idb 157

Phonetics ----A branch of linguistics which studies the characteristics of speech sounds and provides methods for their description, classification and transcription.

Three branches of phonetics • Articulatory phonetics----from the speakers’ point of view, “how speakers produce speech sounds” • Auditory phonetics----from the hearers’ point of view, “how sounds are perceived” • Acoustic phonetics----from the physical way or means by which sounds are transmitted from one to another.

Speech organs: three important areas • Pharyngeal cavity ---- the throat; • The oral cavity ---- the mouth; • Nasal cavity ---- the nose.

The diagram of speech organs • Lips • Teeth • Teeth ridge (alveolar) • Hard palate • Soft palate (velum) • Uvula • Tip of tongue • Blade of tongue • Back of tongue • Vocal cords • Pharyngeal cavity • Nasal cavity

The pronunciation of words in many languages, as distinct from their written form (orthography), has undergone significant change over time. • Pronunciation can also vary greatly among dialects of a language. Traditional orthography in some languages, particularly French and English, often differs from the pronunciation.

Therefore, phonetic transcription can provide a function that orthography cannot. • It displays a one-to-one relationship between symbols and sounds, unlike traditional writing systems. • Phonetic transcription allows us to step outside of orthography and examine differences in pronunciation between dialects within a given language, as well as to identify changes in pronunciation that may take place over time.

In all systems of transcription we may therefore distinguish between broad transcription and narrow transcription. • For example, one particular pronunciation of the English word little may be transcribed using the IPA as /ˈlɪtəl/ or [ˈlɪɾɫ̩]; • the broad, phonemic transcription, placed between slashes, indicates merely that the word ends with phoneme /l/, • but the narrow, allophonic transcription, placed between square brackets, indicates that this final /l/ ([ɫ]) is dark (velarized).

The advantage of the narrow transcription is that it can help learners to get exactly the right sound, and allows linguists to make detailed analyses of language variation

Classification of speech sounds ---- Speechsounds are generally classified into two large categories: • Vowels • Consonants • The essential difference between these two classes is that in the production of the former the airstream meets with no obstruction of any kind in the throat, the nose or the mouth, while in that of the latter it is somehow obstructed.

Classification of consonants ---- English consonants may be classified according to two dimensions: • The manner of articulation • The place of articulation

Manner of articulation describes how the tongue, lips, jaw, and other speech organs are involved in making a sound. • Often the concept is only used for the production of consonants, even though the movement of the articulators will also greatly alter the resonant properties of the vocal tract,

Astop, also known as a plosive, is an oral occlusive, a consonant in which the vocal tract is blocked so that all airflow ceases. • The occlusion may be done with the tongue (blade [t], [d], or body [k], [ɡ]), lips ([b], [p]), or glottis ([ʔ]). • Stops contrast with nasals, where the vocal tract is blocked but airflow continues through the nose, as in /m/ and /n/,

Fricatives, sometimes called spirant, where there is continuous frication (turbulent and noisy airflow) at the place of articulation. • Examples include English /f, s/ (voiceless), /v, z/ (voiced), etc. Most languages have fricatives, though many have only an /s/. However, the Indigenous Australian languages are almost completely devoid of fricatives of any kind.

Affricate, which begins like a stop, but this releases into a fricative rather than having a separate release of its own. The English letters "ch" and "j" represent affricates. Affricates are quite common around the world, though less common than fricatives

The place of articulation • Bilabial; • Labiodental; • Dental or interdental; • Alveolar; • Palatoalveolar; • Palatal; • Velar; • Uvular; • Glottal.

Classification of vowels ---- English vowels can be divided into two large categories: • Monophthongs or pure/single vowels • Diphthongs or gliding vowels

Monophthongs or pure/single vowels ----According to which part of the tongue is held highest in the process of production, the vowels can be distinguished as: • front vowels: • central vowels: • back vowels:

According to the openness of the mouth • Close: • Semi-close: • Semi-open: • Open:

According to the shape of the lips orthe degree of lip rounding • rounded: • unrounded:

According to the length of the vowels • long: • short:

Diphthongs/gliding vowels

Exercises:underline the words that begin with a sound as required • A bilabial consonant: mad sad bad cad pad had lad • A velar consonant: nod god cod pod rod • Labiodental consonant: rat fat sat mat chat vat pat • An alveolar consonant: nick lick sick tick kick quick • A palato-alveolar consonant: sip ship tip chip lip zip • A dental consonant: lie buy thigh thy tie rye • A glide: one war yolk rush

Underline the words that end with a sound as required: • A fricative pay horse tough rice breath push sing wreathe hang cave message • A nasal train bang leaf limb • A stop drill pipe fit crab fog ride laugh rack through tip • An affricate: rack such ridge booze

Underline the words that contain the sound as required: • A central vowel: mad lot but boot word • A front vowel: reed pad load fate bit bed cook • A rounded vowel: who he bus her hit true boss bar walk • A back vowel: paid reap fool top good father

Describe the underlined consonants according to three dimensions: vd/vl place manner Letter Brother Sunny Hopper Itching Lodger Calling Singing Robber either

Phonetics and Phonology