2 - accents, dialects, IPA and manners of articulation

plosive

Airflow is stopped entirely, oral and nasal cavities

Requires a closure in the mouth and the velum IS RAISED to prevent

air from entering the nasal cavity

Nasals

Airflow is stopped entirely in the mouth and the velum is LOWERED to let air in the nasal cavity

fricatives

Airflow is constricted in the mouth so that only a little air can flow out, it becomes turbulent and ‘hissing’

approximants

widest constriction that occurs for consonants, Airflow barely constricted at all, allowing considerable air to pass

Approximants are consonant sounds formed by narrowing the vocal tract, but not enough to cause turbulent airflow or audible friction. They are produced by bringing two articulators (like the tongue and palate or lips) close together without actually touching

Affricates

Affricates are speech sounds that begin as stops and release as fricatives, producing a unique combination of both types of sounds. This means that an affricate starts with a complete closure of the vocal tract and then opens to allow air to flow, creating turbulence.

p

voiceless bilabial stop

b

voiced bilabial stop

t

voiceless alveolar stop

d

voiced alveolar stop

ʈ

voiceless retroflex stop

ɖ

voiced retroflex stop

c

voiceless palatal stop

ɟ

voiced palatal stop

k

voiceless velar stop

g

voiced velar stop

q

voiceless uvular stop

ɢ

voiced uvular stop

ʔ

voiceless glottal stop

m

voiced bilabial nasal

ɱ

voiced labiodental nasal

n

voiced alveolar nasal

ɳ

voiced retroflex nasal

ɲ

voiced palatal nasal

ŋ

voiced velar nasal

ɴ

voiced uvular nasal

ʙ

voiced bilabial trill

r

voiced alveolar trill

ʀ

voiced uvular trill

ⱱ

voiced labiodental tap/flap

ɾ

voiced alveolar tap/flap

ɽ

voiced retroflex tap/flap

ɸ

voiceless bilabial fricative

β

voiced bilabial fricative

f

voiceless labiodental fricative

v

voiced labiodental fricative

θ

voiceless dental fricative

ð

voiced dental fricative

s

voiceless alveolar fricative

z

voiced alveolar fricative

ʃ

voiceless postalveolar fricative

ʒ

voiced postalveolar fricative

ʂ

voiceless retroflex fricative

ʐ

voiced retroflex fricative

ç

voiceless palatal fricative

ʝ

voiced palatal fricative

x

voiceless velar fricative

ɣ

voiced velar fricative

χ

voiceless uvular fricative

ʁ

voiced uvular fricative

ħ

voiceless pharyngeal fricative

ʕ

voiced pharyngeal fricative

h

voiceless glottal fricative

ɦ

voiced glottal fricative

ɬ 

voiceless alveolar lateral fricative

ɮ 

voiced alveolar lateral fricative

ʋ

voiced labiodental approximant

ɹ

voiced alveolar approximant

ɻ

voiced retroflex approximant

j

voiced palatal approximant

ɰ

voiced velar approximant

l

voiced alveolar lateral approximant

ɭ

voiced retroflex lateral approximant

ʎ

voiced palatal lateral approximant

ʟ

voiced velar lateral approximant

front vowel /i/

"e sound" like peace

TENSE

tongue is High-Front

lips unrounded

jaw is close/elevated

example of /i/ sound

we, beak, machine, & ceiling

front vowel /I/

"eh sound" like hit

LAX

tongue is High-Front

lips unrounded

jaw is closed, mid open

example of /I/ sound

sit, drink, rich, basic & cricket

front vowel /e/

"a sound" like mandate

TENSE

tongue is high mid w/ high front off glide

lips unrounded

jaw is mid

example of /e/ sound

lay, eight, daybreak & decade

front vowel /ɛ/ - epsilon

"eh sound" like led

LAX

tongue is low mid, front

lips unrounded

jaw is mid

example of /ɛ/ sound

bet, cent, debt, & marry

front vowel /æ/ - ash

"ah sound" like mat

LAX

tongue is low/front

lips unrounded

jaw is open

example of /æ/

ash, cash, mat, & laugh

back vowel /u/

"oo sound" as in clue

TENSE

tongue is high/back

lips are rounded

jaw is close

example of /u/ sound

true, group, few & accuse

back vowel /ʊ/ - upsilon

uh sound as in "look"

LAX

tongue is high

jaw closed

lips are unrounded

example of /ʊ/ sound

put, could, cookie, & woman

back sound /o/

"oh sound" like obese

TENSE

tongue is high-mid/back

lips are rounded

jaw is mid close

example of /o/ sound

know, coal & open

back vowel /Ɔ/ - open o

aw sound like in "dawn"

TENSE

tongue is low mid/back

lips are rounded

jaw is mid to close

example of /Ɔ/

prawn, coffee, haul & corn

back vowel /a/

aw like in "not"

TENSE

tongue is low/back

lips are unrounded

jaw is open

example of /a/ sound

bond, apart, latte, & problem

central vowel /ə/

uh like in "alone"

LAX

UNSTRESSED

tongue is mid central

lips are unrounded

jaw is mid

example of /ə/ - schwa

salami, tuna, command, & relevant

central vowel /ʌ/ - wedge

uh sound like in "but"

LAX

STRESSED

tongue is low mid/back central

lips are unrounded

jaw is open

example of /ʌ/ sound

rub, flood, bud, hunch, Monday & scrumptious

central vowel /ɚ/ - schwar

ir sound like in "perhaps"

LAX

UNSTRESSED

tongue is mid/central

lips are rounded

jaw is mid open

example of /ɚ/ sound

pertain, runner, luxury, Saturday, harbor, & under

central vowel /ɝ/ - right hook reverse epislon

er sound like in "heard"

TENSE

STRESSED

tongue is mid central

jaw is mid open

lips are rounded

example of /ɝ/

deter, third, Thursday, reverse, surgeon, & curse

what is the difference between the 2 different descriptions of dialect?

an accent is pronunciation, so dialect can be the combination of grammar and vocabulary or dialect can be accent and dialect

why is there prestige around RP and how do linguists use it?

there is prestige around RP as it came from public schools who went on to work on TV and radio so became the voice of prestige, it is just a variety of English it isn’t better nor worse than any other accent.

it is considered reigonless but its vowels are found in southern accents

non-specialists attach social and personal significance to RP but most linguists treat RP as one of a variety of accents, neither better nor worse but it is useful to linguists to provide us with a basis for comparison of English accents