Phonetics: The Study of Speech Sounds - Prof. Shah, Study notes of Linguistics

Download Phonetics: The Study of Speech Sounds - Prof. Shah and more Study notes Linguistics in PDF only on Docsity! Introduction to Linguistics - LANE 321 Chapter 3: The sounds of language Introduction We have a new seagh!!! Phonetics ae ¢« Remember: the sounds of spoken English do not necessarily match up with letters of written English. ¢ How to solve this? ¢ One solution is to produce a separate alphabet with symbols that represent sounds. ¢ The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) Phonetics ae ¢ Knowledge of a language includes: ¢ knowledge of sounds ¢ how they are combined to form meaningful units * Some sounds are found in one language but not another. ¢ All the sounds in the world constitute a limited set of the sounds that the human vocal tract can produce. What is phonetics? 0 eee Phonetics: the general study of the characteristics of soeech sounds Consonants Nae Consonants are classified by answering three questions 1. Voicing 2. Place of articulation 3. Manner of articulation Voiced and voiceless sounds (+v & -ve) 7” eee Air pushed ——- lungs —— trachea—— larynx hard palate-"palatal” velum-"velar” nasal cavity alveolar ndge lips—“labial™ =] teeth—“dental” 4A Voiced and voiceless sounds a - Vocal cords are spread apart air from lungs passes between them unimpeded (no vibration) (-v) - Vocal cords are drawn together——- air from lungs repeatedly pushes them apart as it passes through (vibration) (+v) ¢ Try it! Vocal Folds ° Z-2-Z-Z-Z2 - V-V-V-V © S-S-S-S + F-F-F-F 7 Rear of Body — Bilabials a ¢ Sounds formed using both upper & lower lips. ° pat [p] > bat [b] - mat [m] | \ ¢ way/ walk/ world w] I Labiodentals a * upper teeth + lower lip i] [vl - fat/ safe ¢- vat/ save ¢ Q: How about... cough and photo? - A: Despite the spelling differences ¢ cough/ photo [f] Dentals 0 eee - By the tongue tip behind the upper front teeth ° e.g. ¢ thin/ bath/ three teeth —— [0] (theta) ¢ the/ there/ then/ thus/ feather/ bathe —. [6] (eth) ¢ Interdentals = tongue tip between upper & lower teeth Alveolars Re ¢ bus [s] ¢ buzz [Zz] Q: How about ‘raise’? A: [z] OK.. How about.. ¢ knot * not > [n] Palatals (Alveo-palatals) - Tongue + palate e.g. - shout [] - child [ty] - shoe-brush _ [f] - church [ty] Palatals (Alveo-palatals) Nee * [3] — not very common in English ° €.g. * treasure/ pleasure/ rouge > [d3] ° e.g. * joke/ gem Despite differences - George e judge in spelling * Lil * you/ yet Glottals 7” eee ¢ No active use of the tongue and other parts of the mouth. - The glottis (Space between vocal cords & larynx) ¢ The glottis is open > [h] - €.g. * have/ house ¢ who/ whose Consonants Chart ae Bilabial Labiodental Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal -V +V -V 4V0 -V 4V0 O-V «4VO0COC-VCOHVCO OC -V OHV -Vo-+¢V Stops p b t d k g Fricatives f Vv 0 5 s Zz Sf 3 h Affricates y & Nasals m n y Liquids Ir Glides w j Figure 3.2 Limitation of the chart 0 eee - Plz read pp. 30-31 Describing consonant sounds | | | ee Where they are La oda alte aati articulated articulated IPA a Bilabial Labiodental Dental Alveolar Velar Glottal -V +V -V +V0 -V 4V0 -V +V0 O-V 4V0OC~-VsOaV-Vou+-V Stops Fricatives f v 0 6 s Zz J 3 h Affricates y & Nasals m n 1) Liquids Glides Manner of Articulation Manner of Articulation ae * Stops [p}, [5], [t], [d], [k], [9] - Fricatives [f], [v], [6], [0] [s], [2], [/], [3], [Fl] ¢ Affricates [t/] & [d3] ¢ Nasals [mj], [n}, [| * Liquids [!] & [r] ¢ Glides [w] & |j] Aftfricates dl > [tf] & [d3] ¢ It is the combination of a brief stopping of the airstream with an obstructed release which causes some friction. * Astop followed by a fricative ° e.g. * Cheap * [tf] is a voiceless affricate Stop Stop * Jeep . . . . Fricative Fricative * [d3] is a voiced affricate Nasals > [m], [n], [n] ¢ Most sounds are produced orally, with the velum raised, preventing airstream from entering the nasal cavity. ¢ When the velum is lowered, the airstream is allowed to flow throw the nose. Nasals 0 eee ¢ They are all voiced * e.g. (morning/ knitting, name) * They all begin & end with nasals. Vy Mat ee EL gelatin morning [m] V+ Bilabial Nasa morning [] V+ Velar Nasa name [n] V+ Alveolar Nasa name [m] V+ Bilabial Nasa knitting [n] V+ Alveolar Nasa knitting [] V+ Velar Nasa Glides eee > [w] & fj) - They are both voiced * The tongue is in motion or gliding to or from the position of a vowel. - Semi-vowels Place of Manner of Articulation Articulation Sound AV(o) [ox=) wet/ we [w] V+ Bilabial Glide you/ yes [i] V+ Palatal Glide The Glottal Stop [7] « When the space between the vocal cords (the glottis) is closed, then released. * Cockney accent/ Scottish speakers/ New Yorkers - e.g. * Oh oh/Uhuh * In place of 7 Batman - In place of i bottle / button The flap [D] or [r] he tongue tip tapping the alveolar ridge briefly * butter = budder * Many American English speakers tend to flap the [t] & [d] consonants between vowels ¢ In casual speech: * latter/ ladder * writer/ rider * metal/ medal Describing Vowels 0 eee How do we describe/ classify consonants? ¢ Voicing - POA * MOA Describing Vowels 0 eee How do we describe/ classify vowels? * How high is the highest part of the tongue in the mouth? * How front or back is the highest part of the tongue in the mouth? * Are the lips rounded or unrounded? Front Front Central Back i u High I w Mid e 3 oO € A 9 Low ze Figure 3.3 Describing Vowels Front Front Central Back u High I O Mid e 9 oO € A 9 Low ce a a Figure 3.3 Vowel Backness | Vowel Backness Fon oe Front Vowels ae [il, [1], le], fe], le] Front Vowels - [il | me ‘ ki B - e.g. eat/ see / week / tree | cheese RD key OG > [i Central Vowels ae * [a], Al, [al Central Vowels | * €.g. above, support, zebra (British) "} ‘hurt, ¢ farmer, waterfall * [al ¢ e.g. blood, tough, sun, but, son * [al - e.g. bomb, swan (American), path (British) Back Vowels ae * ul, [o], [o], [9], [al Back Vowels a - [a] * e.g. spa, father, clock, awkward Lio Roundedness — ae ee * Rounded [u], [a], [o], [9] - ; u : High * fu] e.g. noon “id ° 3 0 ‘Low ze f * Unrounded [i], [1], [e]. le]. Le], Lal, Le], [a]. [a] [i] e.g. heat Diphthongs See * Acombination of two sounds * begins with a vowel & ends with a glide [w] or [j] * vowel + glide > [aw] cow, down, loud, doubt > [oj] boy, toy, noise, void > [aj] ride, high, bye, eye, my Phonetic Transcription 7” eee - The best-known system: ¢ The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) - IPA has been developing since 1888. - The system represents each sound of human speech with a single symbol. ¢ The symbol is enclosed in brackets [ ] or //. Phonetic Transcription 7” eee ¢ We can use IPA transcription across languages ¢ There is one symbol for EVERY possible human sound - There is a 1-1 correspondence of sound to symbol - Cat —— [ket] * Cell —— [sel] Transcription Practice 7” eee Transcribe the following words * Kick * Boot She * The * Thin [kIk] [but] [Ji] [So] [Orn]