Phonetics - Intro

Phonetics: definition

study of production and perception of sounds

Articulatory phonetics: defintion

how the anatomy is used to create unique linguistic sounds

Acoustic Phonetics

the physical properties of sounds

Why do we need phonetics? Ie: why is english hard?

English spelling does not consistently reflect pronunciation, making it confusing; phonetics provides a systematic way to understand and describe speech sounds, offering a consistent way to represent sounds that the traditional alphabet fails to capture. (enouGH, wOmen, naTIon = GHOTI (fish)

IPA: What is it?

• international phonetic association

• established in 1886

• worldwide national standard

• 1 to 1 correspondence between sound and symbol

Manner vs. Place

Manner: how/what way sound is being made

Place: where in mouth (arrange anterior → posterior on IPA chart)

Bilabial

• place

• both lips

Labiodental

• place

• lip & teeth

Dental

• place

• teeth & tongue

Alveolar

• place

• alveolar ridge & tongue

Post-alveolar

• place

• behind alveolar ridge & tongue

Palatal

• place

• tongue and palate

Velar

• place

• level of velum (squishy part in front of uvula)

Glottis

• place

• space between vocal folds

Plosive

• manner

• stopping airflow using lips, teeth, palate- followed by sudden release of air

• voiced (/b/, /d/, /g/)

• voiceless (/t/, /k/, /p/)

Nasal

• manner

• closing off air to the nose

• voiced (/m/, /n/, /ŋ/)

  • ŋ = '“ng” sound ie: penguin

Tap/Flap

• manner

• a rapid tap of tongue against alveolar ridge

• voiced (/r/) = frog

Fricative

• manner

• friction/slowing down air coming from lungs

• voiceless /f/

• voiced /v/

• many more but no time rn!

Affricate

• manner

• speeding up air coming from lungs (plosive + fricative)

• voiceless /ʧ/ “CH”= Champ

• voiced /ʤ/ = “JUH” = Giraffe

Approximant

• manner

• bringing one articulator in the vocal tract close to another without causing audible friction

• /j/ “Y”= Yak

Lateral Approximant

• manner

• narrowing the vocal tract without creating turbulence, allowing air to flow out along the sides of the tongue while the center of the tongue makes contact with the roof of the mouth

• /l/ “L” Lion