Phonetics The study of the sounds of spoken language

Assimilation Helps to make sounds and sound combinations easier to pronounce It facilitates the various movements of the articulators It is when your overlapping or assimilation is to the extreme then we get…

Communication Language is the basic building block for communication. Differences in sound systems have a phonological basis: they depend upon speech organ positions and breath control. Understanding basic phonetics will help teachers understand the physical aspects of speech production.

Stress/Nonstress Another feature of phonetic features that do not distinguish phonemes would be Stress/Nonstress. For example, say the word ‘record’ with the stress sound in the beginning of the word, and you may be identifying a list of events or actions. Say the word ‘record’ with the stress at the end of the word, and you are referring to taping something that is spoken or heard. These ways help distinguish vowels in syllables of their typical emphasis (stress) from vowels in other contexts (nonstress) Stress/Nonstress features are useful in helping to distinguish vowels in syllables of Stress (primary emphasis) from vowels in other contexts labeled Nonstress.

Articulation Means joined So it is natural to join or link your words smoothly It is when it is incomprehensible that it becomes a problem

Movements Lips-protrude/squeeze & relax Front teeth (“Say, Velma, cook the veal thoroughly.”) Lower Jaw Tongue (variable positions) Think, These, Bust, Buzz, Fool, Show Velum- soft palate

Sound Families Consonants Vowels Diphthongs

Try this… Tear Row Gear Meat Feat Sweat Great Weight Height Bite Light Crew Blew Few Sew Cow

Place of Articulation Physical place of the articulation Bilabial (both lips) Labiodental (lip-teeth) Lingua-dental (tongue-teeth) Lingua-alveolar (tongue-gum ridge) Lingua-velar (tongue-soft palate) Glottal (the space between the vocal folds)

Place of Articulation DENTAL sounds: When the tongue contacts the teeth, for example: /ð/ and /θ/ ALEVEOLARS: These sounds occur when the tongue contacts the upper area behind the teeth. Examples include: /r/,/t/,and /l/.

Place of Articulation PALATALS: For these sounds, the tongue must touch some part of the roof of the mouth. These sounds are also broken down into various groups depending upon the placement of the tongue on the palate. Some examples of this sound are: /ʧ/, /ʃ/, /ʤ/. VELLARS: These sounds are produced when the tongue touches the soft palate (/k/,/g/).

Place of Articulation GLOTTALS: The only sound of this kind in American English is the /h/ sound made by narrowing the glottis by partially opening the vocal folds to produce some friction.

Method of Articulation Plosives Fricatives Nasals Affricates

Plosives Stops- briefly blocking the air and building up pressure Six of them p, t, k b, d, g PET

Fricatives Squeezes out some air through a narrow opening f, v th, th s, z sh, zh, h SEE

Nasals Block oral cavity with the lips or tongue and by lowering your soft palate Air goes out your nostrils m n ng MAN