PHONETICS – THE BIOLOGY OF SPEECH Anatomy and physiology of speech. by Dr Mukaro

APPROACHES Articulatory phonetics deals with the physiological mechanisms of speech production. Acoustic phonetics studies the physical properties of sound waves in the message. Auditory phonetics is concerned with the perception of speech by the hearer. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

ARTICULATORY PHONETICS physiological mechanisms of speech production Parts and processes involved in speech production L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

The Vocal Tract The air we use in sound production comes from the lungs, proceeds through the larynx where the vocal cords are situated, and then it is shaped into specific sounds in the vocal tract. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

Cavities space inside the pharynx- throat. the oral cavity – space inside the mouth the nasal cavity – space inside the nose. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

Organs of Speech L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

English Noun Adjective Latin Noun Glottis glottal glottis Larynx laryngeal larynx Pharynx pharyngeal pharynx Epiglottis epiglottal epiglottis Tongue back/dorsum dorsal dorsum Corona coronal corona Tongue tip/apex apical apex Tongue blade/lamina laminal lamina Alveolar ridge alveolar alveolae Hard palate palatal palatum Soft palate/velum velar velum Uvula uvular uvula Lungs pulmonal pulmo Teeth dental dentes Lips labial labia Nasal cavity nasal cavum nasi L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

Upper part the outer extreme = the lips and the teeth. the upper surface, behind the upper teeth = a bumpy area (alveolar ridge), followed by a larger bony area (hard palate). L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

Further = a flaccid area, the ‘soft palate’ (or ‘velum’) which is unsupported by bone. The extreme end of the soft palate is a movable organ, which opens and closes the velopharyngeal passage (the passage that links the pharynx to the nasal cavity). At the back = the velum narrows to a long, thin pointed structure that is called the ‘uvula’. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

lower part of the mouth after the lower lip and the teeth, lies the tongue. The ‘tip’ (or ‘apex’) of the tongue is the foremost part. behind the tip = the small surface called the ‘blade’ (or ‘lamina’). The so-called ‘front’ part of the tongue is the area between tip/blade and the center. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

The hindmost part of the horizontal surface of the tongue is called the ‘back’ (or ‘dorsum’). end of the tongue = the ‘root’, which is the vertical surface against the pharyngeal wall. Finally, we have the ‘epiglottis’, which is a leaf-shaped cartilage that sticks up and back from the larynx. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

Processes Airstream Process/Mechanism (initiation) – where the air used in speech production starts from and which direction it is travelling in. Phonation Process (vibration of the vocal cords) – whether or not the vocal cords are vibrating which determines voicing. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

Oro-nasal Process (velum either lowered or lifted) – this determines whether the sound is oral or nasal. Articulation Process (different points where the airstream is manipulated) – the horizontal and vertical positions of the tongue and lips. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

Airstream Mechanism/Initiation of the airstream To produce any sound there is need for energy. There is need to create a pressure difference in the appropriate locations in the larynx and the vocal tract. For speech production the airflow in the respiratory system facilitates the generation, duration and loudness of the sounds. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

The human sounds are made in the vocal cavity as a result of the manipulation of airflow at different points and the different states of the glottis. This air can be moving inwards (ingressive) or outwards (egressive). (Davernport and Hannahs 2005: 8ff). L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

Pulmonic Airstream Mechanism The most commonly used by far and the great majority of speech sounds are produced with the help of increased air pressure created by our lungs. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

Before we begin to speak, we breathe in, taking in sufficient air to produce an utterance of reasonable length. Instead of simply letting go of the muscular tension and allowing our lungs to collapse, pushing the air from them (which is what we would do if we were breathing normally), we slowly ease up on the tension, thereby slowing down the exhalation phase. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

Pulmonic Egressive pulmonically produced pressure difference is used for three purposes: to drive the vibratory opening and closing actions of organs like the vocal folds. to generate a flow of air that can be channeled through a narrow opening to create audible air turbulence, or friction. (production of /s/. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

to build up pressure behind a complete blockage of the vocal tract in order to create an explosive sound when the blockage is suddenly removed.(production of /p/ L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

Pulmonic Ingressive NON!! L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

Velaric Airstream Mechanism the manipulation of air trapped in the oral cavity. relies on two simultaneous closures inside the mouth, one of which is always caused by the velum being lowered, the other being more forward (e.g. tongue-palate, tongue- alveolar, the lips). L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

There is a stop closure at the velum, along with another stop closure in front of the velum. This creates a closed chamber of air between the velum and the forward stop closure. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

Velaric Ingressive Lowering the tongue decreases the air pressure in the oral chamber. subsequent release of the forward stop closure results in air rushing in (since the outside pressure is now higher than the inside pressure). Clicks can be voiced, voiceless and/or nasalized. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

Velaric Egressive This mechanism is impractical. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

Glottalic Airstream Mechanism uses air contained in the pharynx. air is trapped in the pharynx through a simultaneous closure of the glottis and a total obstruction elsewhere in the vocal tract (usually somewhere in the mouth). L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

When the larynx then moves upwards, the air in the pharynx is compressed, and then expelled by ‘releasing’ the obstruction. Syringe analogy. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

Glottalic Egressive the air movement as a result of the upward movement of the larynx (closed glottis) – the glottis initiates the air movement. The upward movement of the larynx increases air pressure in the pharynx resulting in the release of the second closure in the oral cavity. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

The sounds produced are called Ejectives. An easy way of producing this ejective is to breathe out all the air from your lungs and then to say the sound /p/ (as in pin, for instance) as many times as you can before you have to take in air again. The series of rapid puffs you hear at the end are ejectives. These sounds are always voiceless. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

The ejective /k’/. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

Glottalic Ingressive refers to the airflow that is initiated by the downward movement of the larynx (with the glottis closed). There is a closure of the glottis and another simultaneous closure at some point in the vocal tract. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

A downward movement of the larynx results in lowering the pressure in the vocal tract to below atmospheric pressure. When the obstruction further up in the vocal tract is released, air is sucked in to equalize the two pressures. Sounds produced are called implosives. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

The implosive /ɓ/. L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101

Summary Airstream Mechanism Ingressive Egressive Pulmonic x √ Velaric Glottalic L. Mukaro (PhD) 2017 HLG101