Introduction to Phonology and Language Acquisition

Vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions and concepts related to speech sounds, phonology, and early language acquisition.

Phonemes

Specific speech sounds within a given language that serve as the building blocks of language and generally do not carry individual meaning on their own.

Phones

Sounds that a human can produce.

English Phoneme Count

The total number of phonemes in the English language, which ranges from 44 to 46.

Allophones

Slight variations in how a speech sound is produced that are perceptually grouped into the same phoneme category by speakers.

Alveolar Ridge

The bumpy place behind the teeth where the tongue makes contact when producing sounds like the 't' phoneme.

Phonological Representations

Mental categories or 'bubbles' in the brain that categorize individual phonemes along with their allophonic variations.

Infant Perception Studies

Research studies demonstrating that babies are active learners who gather data and statistics from speech in their environment, rather than passive listeners.

Phonological System Building Timeline

The period occurring within the first 6 to 12 months of life during which infants build their language's phonological system prior to speaking their first words.