Articulation and Phonology in Speech Sound Disorders Glossary

A comprehensive collection of vocabulary terms and definitions from the Articulation and Phonology in Speech Sound Disorders (6th Edition) glossary, covering phonetic and phonological concepts.

acoustic phonetics

Study of the transmission properties of speech.

addental [s]

A frequent s-sound distortion marked by an articulatory variation in which the tongue approaches the upper incisors, causing the resulting s-sound to lose its regular stridency, giving a "dull" or "flat" sound impression.

adduct

Closing the vocal folds; moving the vocal folds toward the midline of the glottis.

advanced tongue position

Diacritic for vowels that indicates a tongue position that is too far forward for a normal production of the vowel in question.

affricate

Single, uniform speech sounds characterized by a slow release of a stopping phase into a homorganic (horn= same) friction element. Example: [t)J].

allophones

Variations in phoneme realizations that do not change the meaning of a word when they are produced in various contexts.

alveolar pressure

The pressure within the lungs.

alveolar ridge

Prominent ridge-like structure formed by the alveolar process, which is a thickened portion of the maxilla (upper jaw) housing the teeth.

appraisal

Collection of data to be interpreted and evaluated in the diagnostic phase.

approximant

A manner of articulation in which the articulators come close to each other (they approximate each other), but the constriction is far less than for the fricatives. The opening is wider, and there is a much broader passage of air. Example: [w], (j].

apraxia of speech

Disorder of expressive communication as a result of brain damage affecting the normal realization of speech sounds, sound sequences, and prosodic features representing speech.

articulation

The totality motor movements involved in production of the actual sounds that comprise speech.

articulation disorder

A subcategory of a speech disorder, which is the atypical production of speech sounds characterized by substitutions, omissions, additions, or distortions that may interfere with intelligibility. Articulation-based disorders are phonetic in nature.

articulatory phonetics

Production features of speech sounds, their categorization, and classification according to specific details of their production.

assessment

Clinical evaluation of a client's disorder.

assimilation

Adaptive articulatory change by which one speech sound becomes similar, sometimes identical, to a neighboring sound segment.

assimilatory process

Natural consequences of normal speech production by which one speech sound becomes similar, sometimes identical, to a neighboring sound; also called harmony process.

augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)

Means of compensation for temporary or permanent impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions of individuals with severe disorders of speech-language production and/or comprehension.

backing

A substitution in which the place of articulation is more posteriorly located than the intended sound.

bifid uvula

Uvula that is medially divided into two portions, a split uvula (uvula bifida).

binary system

In this context a methodology using a plus ($+$) and minus ($-$) system to signal the presence ($+$) or absence ($-$) of certain features.

broad transcription

Based on the phoneme system of the particular language in which each symbol represents a phoneme.

canonical babbling

Term for the reduplicated and nonreduplicated babbling stages.

categorical perception

Ability of listeners to perceive speech sounds varied along a continuum according to the phonemic categories of their native language.

centering diphthong

A diphthong in which the off-glide, or less prominent element, is the central vowel [a] or [<'!'].

childhood apraxia of speech (CAS)

Neurological childhood (pediatric) speech sound disorder in which the precision and consistency of movements underlying speech are impaired in the absence of neuromuscular deficits.

closed syllable

Checked syllable; a syllable that has a coda. Example: stop.

coarticulation

Concept that the articulators are continually moving into position for other segments over a stretch of speech.

coda

All sound segments of a syllable following its peak.

code switching

Changing back and forth between varieties of dialects; also referred to as code mixing.

cognate

Similarity between two sounds; can refer to similar vowels or consonants that differ only in voicing features, for example [p] and [b].

communication disorder

Impairment in the ability to receive, send, process, and comprehend concepts including verbal, nonverbal, and graphic symbol systems.

conductive hearing loss

Transmission problem affecting the travel of air-conducted sound waves from the external auditory canal to the inner ear.

consonant

Speech sound with a significant constriction in the vocal tract, mainly in the oral and pharyngeal cavities.

derhotacization

Loss of r-coloring during the production of [1] and rhotacized central vowels.

diacritics

Marks added to sound transcription symbols to give them a particular phonetic value.

diadochokinetic rates

Maximum repetitions of the syllables [pA], [tA], and [kA] alone and in various combinations.

dialect

Neutral label that refers to any variety of a language that is shared by a group of speakers.

diphthong

Vowel sound that demonstrates articulatory movement during its production resulting in a change in quality.

distinctive feature

Phonetic constituent that distinguishes between phonemes.

epenthesis

Syllable structure process marked by the insertion of a sound segment into a word, primarily a schwa insertion between two consonants.

feature geometry

Group of nonlinear phonological theories that have adopted the tiered representation of features used in autosegmental phonology.

first word

An entity of relatively stable phonetic form that is produced consistently by a child in a particular context and that is recognizably related to the adult-like word form.

flap

Occurs when plosives are preceded and followed by vowels, articulated with a single tap of the tongue tip against the alveolar ridge.

fricative

Consonant characterized by an audible friction noise established by forcing expiratory air through a constricted passage in the oral cavity.

generative phonology

The application of principles of generative (or transformational) grammar to phonology.

glottal stop

Produced when a closed glottis (i.e., the space between the vocal folds) is suddenly released after a buildup of subglottal air pressure.

implicational universals

Describe sound properties in which one property is, according to theoretical constructs, predictive of another.

intelligibility

Individual's ability to be understood determined by a listener based on how much of an utterance can be recognized.

inventory of speech sounds

List of speech sounds that the client can articulate within normal limits.

jargon

Stage characterized by strings of babbled utterances that are modulated primarily by intonation, rhythm, and pausing.

labialization

Consonant productions that normally occur without lip rounding are produced with lip rounding. Example: [swup] for [sup].

language

Complex and dynamic system of conventional symbols used in various modes for thought and communication.

limited English proficient

Terminology for any individual between the ages of $3$ and $21$ who is enrolled or preparing to enroll in school and whose native language is other than English.

linear phonologies

Phoneme theories characterized by an assumption that all meaning-distinguishing sound segments are serially arranged.

liquid

Group term for the consonant categories laterals [l] and rhotics [1].

markedness (of phonemes)

Sound that is relatively difficult to produce and less frequent in languages.

metaphonology

Conscious awareness of the sounds in a particular language; the ability to pay attention to and reflect on the phonological structure of language.

minimal pair

Set of words that differ in only one phoneme value among their sound constituents. Example: book versus cook.

morpheme

Smallest meaningful unit of a language.

morphology

Study of the structure of words, analyzes how words can be divided into units labelled as morphemes.

nasal

Manner of articulation in which consonants are produced with the velum lowered so that the expiratory air can pass freely through the nasal cavity.

naturalness (of phonemes)

Designates ($1$) the relative simplicity of a sound production and ($2$) the sound's high frequency of occurrence in languages.

obstruents

Consonants characterized by a complete or narrow constriction between the articulators hindering the expiratory airstream; includes stop-plosives, fricatives, and affricates.

onset

All sound segments of a syllable prior to its peak.

optimality theory

Constraint-based approach, which is one nonlinear (multilinear) theory of phonology.

persistent speech disorder

Errors that persist past the typical age of acquisition ($9$ years old).

phone

Physical sound realities; they are end products of articulatory motor processes.

phoneme

Smallest linguistic unit that is able, when combined with other such units, to establish word meanings between words.

phonological awareness

The individual's awareness of the sound structure or phonological structure of a spoken word in contrast to written words.

phonological disorder

Impaired comprehension and/or use of the sound system of a language and the rules that govern the sound combinations.

phonological process

Mental operation that applies in speech to substitute for a class of sounds or sound sequences presenting a common difficulty to the speech capacity of the individual.

phonotactics

Study of the allowed combinations of phonemes in a particular language.

place of articulation

Where the constriction or narrowing occurs for the various consonant productions.

plosive

Manner of articulation resulting from a complete occlusion at some point in the vocal tract; the sudden release phase of a stop.

pragmatics

Study of language used to communicate in various social situational contexts.

primary stress

The loudest syllable of a word.

prosody

Variations in stress (loudness), pitch (intonation), and duration (rate) that occur across segments.

proto-word

Vocalization used consistently by a child in particular contexts but without a recognizable adult model; also called vocables.

resonance

The selective reinforcement and absorption of sound energy at specific frequencies.

rime

Linguistic term for the nucleus (vowel) and the coda (the arrest) of a syllable.

sagittal midline

The median plane of the vocal tract that divides the vocal tract into right and left halves.

semantics

Study of linguistic meaning that includes the meaning of words, phrases, and sentences.

sonorant

Group of vowels and specific consonants that demonstrate increased sonority or more relative loudness in relationship to other sounds.

speech sound disorder

Difficulties making certain sounds that continue past a certain age; can impact the form (articulation) or function (phonemes) of speech sounds.

stimulability testing

Examining a client's ability to produce a misarticulated sound in an appropriate manner when "stimulated" by a clinician to do so.

syllable nucleus

"Core" of a unit of spoken language carrying its highest intensity and prosodic features, typically a vowel.

syntax

Study of organizational rules denoting word, phrase, and clause order; sentence organization.

timbre

The tonal quality that differentiates two sounds of the same pitch, loudness, and duration.

tongue thrust

Excessive anterior tongue movement during swallowing and a more anterior tongue position during rest.