1. An Introduction to Linguistics
PHONETICS
An Introduction to Linguistics

2. The study of speech sounds
Phonetics
The study of speech sounds

3. How to ‘write down’ sounds
A transcription system should be consistent and unambiguous.
One sound
One symbol

4. Is English a good transcription system?
The same sound is spelled differently.
Sea, see, receive
The same letter represents different sounds
Sign, pleasure, resign
A single sound is spelled by more than one letter.
Shop, chair, special
A single letter represents more than one sound.
Exit, use
Letters might represents no sound at all.
Doubt, psychology

5. What do we use to transcribe the sounds?
IPA
International Phonetic Alphabet

6. An anatomy of articulation

7. CONSONANTS

8. How to describe consonants
Voicing
Place of articulation
Manner of articulation

9. PLACE OF ARTICULATION

10. labials/bilabials
[p], [b],
[m]

11. dentals/interdentals
[ð] [θ]

12. labiodentals
[f], [v]

13. alveolars
[t], [d],
[s], [z],
[n], [l],

14. [ž]/[ʒ], [š]/[ʃ], [ʧ]/[č],
palatals
[ž]/[ʒ], [š]/[ʃ], [ʧ]/[č],
[ʤ],

15. velars
[k], [g], [ŋ]

16. glottals
[h]

17. Summary: place of articulation
category
places
examples
bilabials
Two lips
[b], [p], [m]
Labio-dentals
Lip & teeth
[f], [v],
Inter-dentals
Between teeth
[θ], [ð]
alveolars
Alveolar ridge
[t], [d], [n], [l] [s], [z]
palatals
palate
[ž]/[ʒ], [š]/[ʃ],
[ʤ], [ʧ]/[č]
velars
Velum
[k]. [g], [ŋ]
glottals
glottis
[h]

18. MANNER OF ARTICULATION

19. Manner of articulation 1
stops
By forming the complete obstruction of the airstream in the oral cavity
[p, b, t, d, k, g]
fricatives
By forming the nearly complete obstruction of the airstream in the vocal tract and therefore producing slight ‘friction’ or ‘turbulence’.
[s, z, ʃ, ʒ]
affricates
By shortly obstructing the airstream completely and then releasing it [a stop + a fricative]
[ʤ, ʧ]

20. Manner of articulation 2
liquids
The constriction of the airstream is not narrow enough to block the vocal tract or cause turbulence.
[l], [r]
glides
By forming a slight closure of the articulators. Little or no obstruction of the airstream with the tongue in gliding fashion
[j], [w]
Nasals
By lowering the velum so that the airstream goes through the nasal cavity only.
[m], [n], [ŋ]

21. Manner of articulation (1)
category
distinction
example
Voiced vs. voiceless
Vibration of vocal cord
[p] vs. [b]
Aspirated vs. unaspirated
The ‘timing’ of vocal cord closure
Top vs. stop
Nasal vs. oral
Air thru nose
[m], [n], [ŋ]

22. Web Resources Phonetic flash

23. How to describe a sound Voicing Place of articulation
Manner of articulation
Consonant description

24. Exercise 1
[p]=voiceless bilabial stop
[v]=
[g]=
[z]=
[ʤ]=
[ŋ]=

25. Exercise 2
Voiceless interdental fricative= [ ]
Voiced palatal affricate= [ ]
Voiceless alveolar stop= [ ]
Voiceless labiodental fricative = [ ]
Bilabial nasal=[ ]
Voiceless palatal fricative= [ ]
Voiced velar stop= [ ]

26. VOWELS

27. How to describe vowels: criteria
Height of tongue
High, mid, low
The part of the tongue is involved
Front, central, back
Position of lips
Rounded, non-rounded
Tense vs. lax

28. Vowel Chart FRONT BACK ROUND HIGH [i] (T) [I] [u] (T) [U] MID [e] (T)
[ɛ]
[o] (T)
[ɔ]
LOW
[æ]
[a]

29. [o]= tense rounded mid back vowel
How to describe a vowel
[vowel]=
Tense/lax + (Rounded) + High/mid/low + front/back
[æ]= low front vowel
[o]= tense rounded mid back vowel

30. Suprasegmental features

31. Segmental
Individual sounds
suprasegmental
length
Intonation
Tone
Stress
Pitch

32. The contrast of meaning due to length difference Inherent differences
High vowels are shorter than low vowels
[i] < [æ]
Influenced by the sounds around.
Bead > beat

33. The pitch variation that causes the contrast of meaning. Level tones
A relatively fixed tone
Contour tones
A single syllable produced with tones that glide from one level to another.

34. Mandarin Chinese: a tone language
segments
Tone pattern
Tone type
[ma]
High level
Level
High rising
Contour
Low falling rising
High falling

35. Web Resources Online Intonation Pitch
Pitch

36. SOUNDS IN INTERACTION

37. Phonetics vs. phonology
Describing individual speech sounds
Phonology
Describing sound patterns
Describing the interactions between sounds

38. Example Phonetics Phonology [s] is a voiceless alveolar fricative.
[z] is a voiced alveolar fricative.
Phonology
Cats, dogs
/s/ is pronounced as [s] before a voiceless sound.
/s/ is pronounced as [z] before a voiced sound.

39. Contrast between sounds/segments
Sounds that contrast
Example
fine/dine; like/bike
Contrast between sounds/segments
[f] and [d] are contrastive sounds

40. A pair of words whose contrast lies in only one sound.
Minimal pairs
Example
beat [bit]/boat [bot]/bat [baet]
lobe [lob]/load [lod]
A pair of words whose contrast lies in only one sound.
The one-sound contrast also causes difference in meaning.

41. There is a minimal pair. What are the two words
There is a minimal pair. What are the two words? What are the two contrastive sounds? Describe the sounds.

42. Phonological rules Assimilation vs. Dissimilation
Insertion vs. Deletion
Metathesis
Strengthening vs. Weakening
S j huang

43. Assimilation
sink /-nk/
Assimilation
sink [-ŋk]
A sound becomes more like a neighboring sound due to certain phonetic property.

44. Fricative dissimilation
Sixth[-ks]
Fricative dissimilation
Sixth[-kst]
A sound becomes less like a neighboring sound due to certain phonetic property.

45. Voiceless stop insertion
Hamster /hmst/
Voiceless stop insertion
Hamster [hmpst]
A phonemic segment is added to the phonetic form of a word.

46. deletion A phonemic segment is deleted at the phonetic level
Ask him /skhim/
/h/-deletion
Ask him [sk_m]
A phonemic segment is deleted at the phonetic level

47. metathesis The order of the sounds is changed. Ask /sk/ metathesis
Ask [ks]
The order of the sounds is changed.

48. Questions?