Phonetics

articulatory phonetics

how we make sounds

acoustic phonetics

the nature of the sounds as they pass through the air

auditory phonetics

how sounds are perceived by a listener

phonetic transcription

representing speech in a way that systematically reflects the sounds actually produced

alveolar ridge

the bony ridge immediately posterior to the upper teeth; used for more consonant sounds than any other place of articulation

larynx

the voice box (where voicing is generated)

nasal cavity

the space in the vocal tact above the palate leading from the upper end of the pharynx to the nostrils

oral cavity

the space in the vocal tract occupied by the tongue

palate

the front portion of the roof of the mouth; a place for consonant constriction between the post-alveolar region and the velum/soft palate

pharynx

the space in the vocal tract behind the tongue, between the larynx and the oral and nasal cavities

velum

the soft palate; a place of consonantal articulation; may be lowered to open the nasal passage for nasal sounds or raised to close it off for oral sounds

glottis

the space between the vocal folds in the larynx

consonant

a speech sound that articulation involves constriction somewhere in the vocal tract

place of articulation

where constriction take place

manner of articulation

how the constriction is formed

voiced

sounds that are produced with the vocal folds vibrating in the larynx

voiceless

sounds that are produced with the vocal folds not vibrating

bilabial

sounds that are produced with both lips coming together (pit, bit, mitt)

labiodental

sounds that are produced with the lower lip approaching the upper teeth (fan, van)

alveolar

sounds that are produced with the tongue tip at the alveolar ridge (tomb, doom, soon, zoom, noon, loon, room)

alveopalatal

sounds that are produced with the blade of the tongue between the alveolar ridge and the hard palate (end of bush, rogue)

palatal

sounds that are produced with the body of the tongue at the hard palate (yes)

velar

sounds that are produced with the body or back of tongue at the velum (soft palate), (end of luck, lug, lung)

glottal

sounds that are produced with a constriction in the glottis (high, between vowels in uh-oh)

stops

produced by completely blocking air through the oral cavity; also called “plosives” (beginning and end of pit, bit, tick, did, kick, gap)

fricatives

involves air flowing through a narrow opening, causing turbulence or audible friction; has a hissy quality (beginning and end of five, vice, thighs, this, swoosh, zoos, shush, half)

affricates

formed by a stop followed immediately by a fricative; sequence of two sounds (beginning and end of church, judge)

nasals

produced with oral closure and nasal opening, so there’s a stop closure somewhere in the oral cavity (consonants in mom, noon, mining)

liquids

have somewhat less constriction than terms before

lateral liquids

produced with the centre of the tongue making alveolar contact while the sides of the tongue are open to allow air past (beginning and end of lull)

retroflex liquids

produced at the alveolar ridge with the tip of the tongue curled back (starts and finishes roar)

glides

least possible constriction while remaining consonants (start of when, yuppie, wild)

vowel

a speech sound with no constriction anywhere in the vocal tract

unrounded

lips are apart and not protruding at all (see)

rounded

lips come together and are often pushed forward a little (sue)

front

a vowel frontness; the tongue is forward in the mouth

high

a vowel height; the tongue is close to the roof of the mouth

back

a vowel frontness; the tongue is back in the mouth

central

a vowel frontness; intermediate between front and back

low

a vowel height; the tongue is very low in the mouth

mid

a vowel height; intermediate between open and close

frontness/backness

a property of vowels describing how far forward the tongue is in the mouth

height

a property of vowels describing how high the tongue is in the mouth

tenseness

a property of vowels describing overall tension in the articulation of the vowel

tense

a vowel tenseness; the ariculators are tense

lax

a vowel tenseness; the articulators are not tense

diphthong

a vowel in which the tongue moves from one vowel position to another

monophthong

a vowel in which the tongue does not move vowel positions

rounding

a property of vowels describing the position of the lips

aspiration

a type of progressive voicing assimilation, where voicelessness carries on from a voiceless sound to the normally voiced following sound

assimilation

where a property of one sound spreads forward onto the following sound (progressive) or backward onto the preceding sound (regressive)

deletion

where a sound that would normally be pronounced is left out

dissimilation

where one of a pair of similar sounds becomes more unlike its neighbour

epenthesis

where a sound is inserted that would not normally be pronounced

metathesis

where two sounds change positions

nasalization

a type of regressive nasal assimilation, where nasality spreads backward from a nasal consonant to the preceding vowel

tapping

where a [t] or [d] sound becomes a tap [r] between a preceding stressed syllable nucleus and a following unstressed syllable nucleus

vowel reduction

where certain vowels, when they are not stressed, become mid-central