phonetics midterm

Phonetics

The branch of linguistics that studies speech sounds, including how they are produced (articulation), their physical properties (acoustics), and how they are perceived (auditory aspects).

Phonology

The study of the structure and functions of sounds within a language, including how sounds interact with each other and the rules that govern their use.

Phoneme

The smallest unit of sound that can differentiate between meaningful units in a language. An example of phonemes includes the sounds /k/ and /t/ in 'cat' and 'tat'.

Allophone

Variations of a phoneme that differ in production and sound but do not change the meaning of the word. For example, the /l/ in 'lip' and 'full' are allophones that are articulated differently but do not alter the meanings of the words.

Morpheme

The smallest unit of language that carries meaning. This could be a whole word or a part of a word.

Free Morpheme

A morpheme that can stand alone as a word, such as 'cat' or 'dog'.

Bound Morpheme

A morpheme that must be attached to a free morpheme to create meaning, such as the prefixes 'un-' in 'undo'.

Inflectional Morpheme

A type of bound morpheme that serves as a grammatical ending to denote aspects such as plurality, for example, adding '-s' for pluralization.

Derivational Morpheme

A bound morpheme that changes the meaning or lexical category of a word, such as the addition of '-ize' in 'realize,' transforming the adjective 'real' into a verb.

Grapheme

Individual units in the writing system of a language, such as letters. For example, the English alphabet has 26 graphemes.

Allograph

Any letter or combination of letters that represents a particular phoneme, such as the letter 'f' in 'fish' and 'ph' in 'phonetic' both representing the /f/ sound.

Dialect

Language variations shared by a speech community that can include differences in phonology, semantics, and grammar.

Idiolect

The unique language rule system of an individual, encompassing their personal vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.

Social Dialects

Variations in language associated with specific social groups, which can reflect socioeconomic status, age, or ethnicity.

Regional Dialects

Variations in language that are specific to particular geographic regions, displaying unique phonetic and lexical characteristics.

Macro-culture

A larger cultural context that encompasses national or international cultural traits shared across broader populations.

Micro-culture

Smaller cultural groups with shared behaviors and ideas within larger cultures, such as subcultures associated with specific interests or communities.

Phonotactic Constraints

Rules governing the permissible sound combinations in a given language that dictate how phonemes can be arranged.

Speech Breathing

Breathing patterns used during speaking that are characterized by active expiration and deeper inspiration, facilitating speech production.

Tidal Breathing

The regular breathing pattern involving passive expiration and typical inhalation, often occurring during rest.

Boyle’s Law

The principle stating that there is an inverse relationship between the volume and pressure of a gas, where increasing volume decreases pressure and vice versa.

Phonatory System

The biological system involved in the production of sound using the vocal folds, which includes the larynx and associated structures.

Supralaryngeal System

Components that modify sound after it is generated by the vocal folds, which include the oral cavity, nasal cavity, and articulators.

Consonants

Speech sounds characterized by significant constriction in the vocal tract, which can be further categorized by their place, manner, and voicing.

Vowels

Speech sounds produced without significant constriction in the vocal tract, characterized by their greater intensity and capability to form syllable nuclei.

Place of Articulation

The location in the vocal tract where airflow is constricted during sound production, such as bilabial, alveolar, or velar.

Manner of Articulation

The method used to constrict airflow in the vocal tract during sound production, including categories such as stops, fricatives, and nasals.

Voicing

Whether the vocal folds vibrate during the production of a sound, categorizing sounds as either voiced or voiceless.

Phonation

The process of sound production through the vibration of the vocal cords, which can vary based on different phonation types like modal voice or vocal fry.

Respiratory System

The system responsible for generating airflow that is necessary for speech production, involving structures like the lungs, diaphragm, and trachea.

Vocal Folds

Tissues located in the larynx that vibrate to produce sound during phonation, functioning by opening for breathing and closing for sound production.

Bernoulli Effect

The phenomenon where increased airflow results in decreased air pressure, crucial for the opening and closing of vocal folds during phonation.

Articulators

Anatomical structures used to produce speech sounds, including mobile articulators like the tongue and fixed ones like the hard palate.

Nasal Sounds

Sounds produced with the velum lowered, allowing airflow to pass through the nasal cavity, such as /m/ and /n/.

Oral Sounds

Sounds produced with the velum raised, directing airflow primarily through the oral cavity, as in most vowel sounds.

Vowel Height

The vertical position of the tongue in the mouth during vowel articulation, categorized as high, mid, and low.

Vowel Advancement

The horizontal position of the highest point of the tongue during vowel production, classified as front, central, or back.

Vowel Tenseness

The degree of muscle tension involved in the articulation of vowels, categorized as tense or lax.

Lip Rounding

The position of the lips during the production of certain vowel sounds, which can be rounded or unrounded.

Pharyngeal Cavity

The space between the larynx and the oral and nasal cavities, playing a role in resonance and articulation.

Oral Cavity

The space between the pharynx and the lips, crucial for producing most speech sounds.

Nasal Cavity

The space between the pharynx and the nostrils, involved in nasal sound production.

Vocal Fry

A type of phonation characterized by low frequency and irregular vibrations of the vocal folds, often perceived as a creaky voice.

Falsetto

A type of phonation where the vocal folds are very tense, producing high frequency sounds that are often airy.

Breathy Phonation

A type of phonation where the vocal folds are tensed but not fully adducted, allowing more air to escape during sound production.

Modal Voice

Everyday speech where the vocal folds are fully adducted, allowing for normal voice production.

Affricate

A consonant sound that begins as a stop with complete blockage, then releases as a fricative, such as the sound /ch/.

Fricative

A consonant sound produced by forcing air through a narrow constriction in the vocal tract, creating turbulence, such as /f/ and /v/.

Glide

A consonant sound that starts with some constriction in the vocal tract and then transitions to a more open position, such as /w/.