Phonetic Sounds

Phonetics is the study of speech sounds.

The three branches of Phonetics:
Articulatory Phonetics - Focuses on how speech sounds are made.
Acoustic Phonetics - Looks at the physical properties of sound waves.
Auditory Phonetics - Studies how we hear and understand speech sounds.

Vowel Sounds

Vowel A -

/a/: A (o shaped mouth)

Sound: This is an open front unrounded vowel sound.
Example: Similar to the “a” in the word "father" (in some accents, like British English).
Pronunciation: The tongue is positioned low and towards the front of the mouth, with the mouth open.

/æ/: e

Sound: This is a near-open front unrounded vowel.
Example: Found in the word "cat".
Pronunciation: The tongue is slightly lower than the /e/ sound but still towards the front. The mouth is open a bit more than for /e/.

/ʌ/: uh (fast, soft)

Sound: This is a near-open back unrounded vowel sound.
Example: Found in words like "cup" and "luck".
Pronunciation: The tongue is placed lower in the mouth, towards the back, and the lips remain unrounded.

/eɪ/: eyy

Sound: This is a diphthong, which means it consists of two vowel sounds in one syllable. It's a combination of the /e/ sound followed by /ɪ/.
Example: Found in words like "day" and "say".
Pronunciation: Start with the tongue in the mid position (like /e/) and glide towards a slightly higher position (like /ɪ/), with a slight movement from front to back in the mouth.

/aʊ/: oww (ouchie)

Sound: This is another diphthong, starting with the open front /a/ and gliding toward the high back /ʊ/ sound.
Example: Found in words like "how" and "out".
Pronunciation: The tongue starts low and towards the front of the mouth, then moves toward the back and slightly up as you finish the sound.

Vowel E -

/i/: ieee

Sound: This is a close front unrounded vowel.
Example: Found in words like "see", "tree", and "me".
Pronunciation: The tongue is positioned high and towards the front of the mouth, with the lips unrounded. This is often referred to as a "long e" sound.

/ɪ/: ie

Sound: This is a near-close front unrounded vowel.
Example: Found in words like "sit", "bit", and "lip".
Pronunciation: The tongue is slightly lower than in /i/, but still towards the front of the mouth. It’s a "short e" sound and is more relaxed than /i/.

/e/: eh

Sound: This is a mid-front unrounded vowel.
Example: Found in words like "bed", "red", and "said".
Pronunciation: The tongue is positioned in the middle of the mouth, toward the front. It’s a relaxed, neutral sound compared to /i/ or /ɪ/ and is common in many accents.

/ər/: err

Sound: This is the rhotic schwa (a schwa sound combined with the "r" sound).
Example: Found in words like "teacher", "butter", "her" (in accents with rhotic pronunciation, like American English).
Pronunciation: It starts with the schwa sound /ə/ (a neutral, unstressed vowel sound), and then the tongue moves to produce the "r" sound /r/ as in "car". This is typically used in unstressed syllables.

Vowel I -

/aI/: ai

Tongue Movement:
- The first part of the diphthong (the /a/ sound) starts with the tongue positioned low and slightly toward the front of the mouth, similar to the sound in cat.
- The second part (the /ɪ/ sound) moves toward a higher, more front position in the mouth, similar to the sound in bit.
Lip Position: The lips are generally unrounded (relaxed), similar to the positioning for /a/ and /ɪ/.
Sound Quality: The /aɪ/ diphthong is smooth and continuous, starting with the open mouth sound (/a/) and gliding into the more closed /ɪ/ sound, resulting in a clear and distinct vowel sound.
Examples: Time, mind, my, fly, bye

Vowel O -

/ō/ - Ohhhh

Sound: This is a diphthong, starting with a mid-back vowel sound and gliding to a higher back vowel.
Example: Similar to the “o” in the word go or home.
Pronunciation: The tongue starts in a mid-back position and glides upward to a higher back position. The lips are rounded throughout the sound.

/ɔ/ - awe (uh)

Sound: This is a low-mid, back, rounded vowel sound.
Example: Similar to the “aw” in the word law (in accents like British Received Pronunciation or some American dialects).
Pronunciation: The tongue is positioned low and towards the back of the mouth, and the lips are rounded.

/ol/ - oi

Sound: This is a diphthong /oʊ/ followed by the "i" sound.
Example: Similar to the “o” in alloy or boy
Pronunciation: The tongue starts in the position for the /oʊ/ sound, then moves toward the "l" sound, with the tongue curling to produce the "l." The lips are rounded for the /oʊ/ part, and the "l" sound is produced in the back of the mouth.

Vowel U -

/ju/: yoo

Sound: This is a combination of the consonant /j/ (the "y" sound, as in yes) followed by the /u/ vowel (as in too).
Example: Similar to the "u" in cute or few.
Pronunciation: The tongue is positioned high and towards the front of the mouth for the /j/ sound, followed by a high back tongue position for the /u/ sound. The lips are rounded for the /u/ part, and the /j/ is produced by raising the middle of the tongue towards the roof of the mouth.

/u/: oo

Sound: This is a tense, high back vowel sound.
Example: Similar to the "oo" in food or moon.
Pronunciation: The tongue is positioned high and towards the back of the mouth, and the lips are rounded. The sound is longer and tenser compared to the short /ʊ/ sound.

/ʊ/: uh

Sound: This is a lax, high back vowel sound.
Example: Similar to the "u" in foot or good.
Pronunciation: The tongue is positioned high and towards the back of the mouth, but slightly lower than the /u/ sound, and the lips are rounded. The sound is shorter and more relaxed compared to the tense /u/ sound.

Elements of Communication

Sender - where the message comes from.
The sender is the individual that originates a message. They encode their thoughts, ideas, or information into a format that can be understood by the receiver. The sender plays a key role in shaping the message's clarity, tone, and intent, ensuring it is suitable for the audience and context.

Message: The information or idea being conveyed.
A message is the information or idea conveyed from sender to receiver, expressed through words, images, gestures, or nonverbal cues. Its effectiveness depends on how clearly it is encoded and decoded, ensuring the receiver understands it as intended.

Receiver: The person or group for whom the message is intended.
The receiver is the person or group who receives and interprets the message. Their background and experiences influence how they decode the message, and effective communication depends on their ability to understand it as intended. The receiver may also provide feedback, completing the communication process.

Feedback: The response of the receiver to the sender.
Feedback is the receiver's response to the sender’s message, indicating whether it was understood or needs clarification. It can be verbal or nonverbal and helps the sender assess the effectiveness of their communication, allowing for adjustments if necessary. Feedback fosters interaction and mutual understanding.

Channel: The medium through which the message is delivered.
The channel is the medium through which the message is transmitted, such as face-to-face conversation, phone calls, written texts, or digital platforms. The choice of channel influences how the message is received and interpreted, affecting its clarity and impact.

Context: The environment or situation in which communication takes place.
Context is the environment, situation, or circumstances in which communication occurs, including the physical setting, social factors, and any relevant background. It also involves timing, relationships, and external influences that shape how a message is understood and received.