Phonetics

Phonetics

Scientific study of sound production and their acoustic qualities

Production of speech sounds

By the lungs, the larynx and the vocal tract above the larynx

Production of English sounds

By egressive pulmonic airstream

Larynx

Vocal cords and the opening between them (glottis)

Voiced sound

Vocal cords closed, vibration of air

Voiceless sound

Vocal cords open, no vibration of air

Velum

Soft palate

Apex

Tip of the tongue

Pharynx

Upper throat

Lamina

Blade of the tongue

Passive articulators

Alveolar ridge, hard palate

Active articulators

Tongue, lips

Three dimensions for describing consonants

1. Voicing
2. Place of articulation
3. Manner of articulation

Voicing

Voiceless consonants on the left, voiced consonants on the right

Places of articulation

1. Bilabial
2. Labiodental
3. Dental
4. Alveolar
5. Post-alveolar
6. Palatal
7. Velar

Bilabial

Articulated with both lips (b, m, p)

Labiodental

Made with lips and teeth (f, v)

Dental

Tongue against upper teeth (th)

Alveolar

Tongue against alveolar ridge (dz)

Post-alveolar

Area behind alveolar ridge (d͡ʒ​)

Palatal

Body of the tongue against hard palate (j)

Velar

Articulated with the back of the tongue (k,g)

Manners of articulation

1. Plosive
2. Affricative
3. Fricative
4. Nasal
5. Lateral approximant
6. Approximant

Plosive

Vocal tract is blocked so airflow ceases (p, b, k)

Affricative

Vocal stop followed by fricative (in choose)

Fricative

Air passes through narrow constriction (f, s)

Nasal

Simultaneous nasal and oral airflow (m)

Lateral approximant

Central occlusion with an opening on one or both sides of the tongue (l)

Acoustic phonetics

Study of physical properties of sound

Auditory phonetics

Study of the perception of speech sounds

Production of vowels

1. No obstruction of airstream
2. Only voiced vowels
3. Mostly produced around velum area

Description of vowels

1. Backness
2. Vowel height
3. Roundedness
4. Length of vowel

Backness

Position of tongue relative to back of the mouth

Vowel height

Vertical position of tongue or jaw (close = high)

Roudedness

Rounding of lips in some vowels

Schwa vowels

Weak vowel that only occurs in unstressed syllables

Diphthongs

Double vowel sound, glide from one articulation to another

Diphthongs listed

1. crime
2. break
3. moan
4. hound
5. bear
6. near
7. oil
8. pure

Closing diphthong

Second vowel closer than first one (paid)

Centring diphthong

Glides from one pure vowel to another

Segmental phonology

Function of individual sounds

Suprasegmental phonology

Concerned with features of pronunciation that extend over 1+ segments