Acoustics & Phonetics

Phonetics

the study of the production & perception of speech sounds

I.P.A.

International Phonetic Alphabet

Phonology

systemic organization of speech sounds in the production of language

dialect

variation of speech or language based on geographical area, native lang., background, social/ ethnic group

phonetic alphabet

an alphabet that maintains a one-to-one relationship between a sound & a particular alphabet letter

graphemes

printed letters

allographs

different letter sequences or patterns that represented the same sound

diagraphs

pairs of letters that represent one sound

morhpeme

smallest unit of language capable of carrying meaning

free morpheme

a morpheme that can stand alone as a word

bound morpheme

morpheme that is bound to other words and carry no meaning when they stand alone

phoneme

an individual speech sound that's capable of differentiating morphemes and distinguishing meaning

minimal pair

words that vary by only one phoneme

diacritics

indicates an alternative way of producing a certain sound

suprasegmentals

symbols used to indicate the stress, intonation pattern, and tempo of any particular utterance in a lang.

allophones

variant pronunciation of a particular phoneme

complementary distribution

allophones that are not interchangeable due to the phonetic constraints of the vowel in each word

free variation

allophone production that is not linked to phonetic context and can be be exchanged for one another

syllable

basic building blocks of lang. composed of vowel and consonant letters

onset

all the consonants that precede a vowel

consonant cluster

2 or 3 contiguous consonants in the same syllable

rhyme

nucleus and coda

nucleus

a vowel

coda

single consonants or consonants clusters that follow the nucleus

open syllable

syllables that end with a vowel phoneme (no coda)

closed syllable

syllables that end with a consonant phoneme (with a coda)

dipthong

an individual phoneme containing two vowels

canonical syllable

indicates how many consonants may occur both before and after the vowel nucleus in any one syllable

word/ lexical stress

increased emphasis in the production of one syllable

word class

part of speech

broad / phonetic transcription

phonemic transcription of speech indicted by the use of slash marks (virgules)

narrow/ allophonic transcription

transcription of speech using diacritics to indicate allophonic production and/ or suprasegmental aspects of speech; brackets used

systemic transcription

form of phonetic transcription that requires knowledge of the sound system of language prior to analysis; phonetic or allophonic

impressionistic transcription

allophonic transcription of an unknown speaker or an unknown language

thoracic cavity

chest cavity that expands in order to make room for lung expansion

diaphragm

muscle that separates abdominal cavity from thoracic cavity; diaphragm contracts , lowering, during inhalation

external intercostal muscles

located between ribs; helps diaphragm lower, expand rib cage, enlarges thoracic cavity, which creates extra space for inflating lungs

sternum

breast bone

internal intercostal muscles

lower rib cage

trachea

windpipe; a passage through which air moves in the respiratory system.

larynx

voice box; composed of mainly muscle and cartilage

hyoid bone

floating bone; only bone in human that does not attach to another bone

mandible

lower jaw

vocal folds

elastic folds of tissue, primarily composed of muscle

thyroid cartilage

A firm prominence of cartilage that forms the upper part of the larynx; the Adam's apple.

arytenoid cartilage

Two small cartilages in the larynx, the movements of which abduct and adduct the vocal folds

cricoid cartilage

the ring-shaped structure that forms the lower portion of the larynx

glottis

space between the vocal folds

subglottal pressure

pressure below the vocal folds

Bernoulli Effect

Pressure is lower where flow speed is greater; causes vocal folds being sucked together

phonation

the vibration of the vocal folds in creation of a vocal sound

voiced sounds

are produced, in part by the vibrations of the vocal chords ("zzzzz")

voiceless sounds

produced without use of vocal folds ("sssss")

abduction

vocal folds remain apart during production of voiceless sounds

adduction

vocal folds are brought together

fundamental frequency

voice pitch in an individual

epiglottis

A flap of tissue that seals off the windpipe and prevents food from entering.

pharynx

throat

vocal tract

network consisting of the larynx, pharynx, and the oral and nasal cavities

nasal cavity

nostrils (nares) continuing to the nasopharynx posteriorly

maxilla

upper jaw

mandible

lower jaw

labial sounds

phonemes associated with the lips

bilabial sounds

sounds produces with both lips (mothers, past, boy)

central incisors

top front teeth

dental (interdental)

phonemes that are produced by the tongue and the teeth

labiodental

pertaining to the lips and teeth

alveolar ridge

the gum ridge behind the upper teeth

alveolar phonemes

/d, l, n, s, z/

hard palate

roof of the mouth

Palatal phonemes

sounds produced in conjunction with palate and tongue "yes

Velum (soft palate)

muscular structure located directly posterior to the hard palate

velar sounds

tongue is near the soft palate (velum) "cat go ring

uvula

small projection hanging from the back middle edge of the soft palate

velopharyngeal closure

the upward and backward movement of the soft palate to make contact with the posterior pharyngeal wall to close off the coupling of the oral and nasal cavities

oral phonemes

phonemes produced with a raised (closed) velum

nasal phonemes

phonemes produced with the velum lowered while mouth is closed (m, n, ng)

glottal sounds

sound made with an open glottis; (h)

tongue

major articulator in production of speech

lingual sounds

sounds produced with the tongue

tongue parts

root, arises from anterior wall of pharynx; apex, tip; blade, lies posterior to tip; body, posterior to blade (front and back); dorsum, entire tongue body

resonance

A phenomenon that occurs when two objects naturally vibrate at the same frequency

vowels

phonemes that are produced without any appreciable constriction or blockage of air flow in the vocal tract; 14 vowels sounds including a, e, i ,o , u

tongue height

how high or low in the oral cavity the tongue is when producing a particular vowel

tongue advancement

how forward or backward in the mouth that tongue is when producing a particular vowel

vowel quadrilateral

diagram representing the tongue positions of height and advancement for vowels

rounded

sounds produced in the back of the mouth; lips protruded ("moon")

unrounded

retracted; "mean

tense

vowels are longer in duration and require more muscular effort; i, e, o

lax

requires less muscular effort

monothongs

1 vowel sound; has 1 primary articulatory position in the vocal tract

dipthongs

has 2 distinct articulatory positions- one for each of the 2 vowels in the dipthong

onglide

first element of a diphthong

offglide

end element of a diphthong

nasalization

vowels may take on a nasal quality due to the phonemic environment of a word

point vowel

one of four extreme corner vowels of the vowel quadrilateral

r-colored vowel

[air] sound /er/: "stair"; /I/+ /r/

rhotacization

vowel is perceived as having an "r" quality or "r-coloring" associated with it

lowercase i: /i/

-high
- front
- unrounded/ retracted
- tense
"keep" "He

small capital I: /I/

-high (lower than i)
- front
-unrounded/ retracted
- lax
- Ir= "ear" "here"
-"ing"
-final unstressed y graphemes: "many"= "manI

front vowel tense/ lax

Te, La, Te, La, La

lower case e: /e/ /eI/

-high-mid
-front
- unrounded
- tense
/e/: ONLY in syllables NOT receiving primary stress= "REbate"
/eI/: (dipthong) in stressed syllables OR end of word= "aWAY" "bAby

epsilon

-low mid
- front
- unrounded
- lax
- does NOT occur in word final position
- "led" "edge"
- Er= "air" "hair

ash

-low
- front
- unrounded
- lax
- "axe" "cat"
- does NOT occur in final word position
- "ng"= "sang" "bang

lower case u: /u/

-high
- back
- rounded
- tense
- "toot" "through"
- can occur in final position
-/ju/= "few

upsilon

- high (lower than /u/)
- back
-rounded
- lax
- "look" "pull"
- ONLY in medial position
- +r= "tour" "lure

back vowel tense/ lax

Te, La, Te, Te, Te

lower case o: /o/

-high- mid
- back
- rounded
- tense
- unstressed / not word final
- "oBESE" "loCATION

lower case o+upsilon

-high- mid
- back, dipthong
- rounded
- tense
- stressed/ word final
- "vOTE" "beLOW

open o

?
- low-mid
- back
-rounded
-lax
- "saw" "haul" "caught" "dawn"
-varies by dialect
- +r= "fork" "born

script a: /a/

-low
- back, dipthong
- unrounded
- tense
- "not" "lot"
- +r= "bark "art

central vowel tense/ lax

La, La, Te, La

shwa

-mid
- central
- unrounded
- lax
- unstressed
-"alone" sofa" "elephant

turned V "wedge

- low-mid
- back- central
- unrounded
- lax
- stressed "uh"
- "cup" "done" "rough

Right hook schwa, schwar

-mid
- central
- rounded
- lax
- unstressed
- "perhaps" "brother" "Saturday

right hook reversed epsilon, three R

-mid
- central
- rounded
- tense
-stressed
- "heard" "bird" "preFER

derhotacization

loss of r-coloring

dipthong /aI/

-back
- "buy" "ice" "mine

vowel rising dipthongs

/eI/, /ou/, /aI/, /au/, /oI/

dipthong /oI/

-back
-" boy" " oil" "coin

dipthong /au/

-back
- print a + upsilon
- "house" "out" "loud

centering dipthongs

- /Ir/= "hear"
- /Er/= "fair"
- /or/= "fork"
-/ar/= "art"
- /ur/= "tour

consonants

speech sounds that occur when the airflow is obstructed in some way by your mouth, teeth, or lips.

resonant (sonorant) consonants

produced with resonance occurring throughout the entire vocal tract; voiced
- nasals, liquids, and glides

non- resonant (obstruent) consonants

resonance does NOT occur because airflow is obstructed during articulation; stops, fricatives, affricates
- resonance occurs primarily in the portion of the vocal tract anterior to the constriction formed by articulators
- voiceless: s, f, t, k
- voiced:

prevocalic consonants

consonants that occur before a vowel

postvocalic consonants

consonants that occur after a vowel

intervocalic consonants

consonants that occur between two vowels

Manner of Production (Consonants)

the way in which the airstream is modified
-manner of production, place of articulation, and voicing

place of articulation

the place of construction during the production of phonemes

bilabial

both lips
/p/ /b/ /m/ /w/

labiodental

lower lip and upper teeth
/f/ /v/

dental

tongue apex (or blade) and teeth

(lingua) alveolar

tongue apex (or blade) and alveolar ridge
/t/ /d/ /s/ /z/ /n/ /l/

velar

back of tongue and velum
/k/ /g/ /ng/ /w/

palatal

blade of tongue and hard palate
/esh/, /yogh/, /t+esh/, /d+yogh/, /j/, /r/

glottal

vocal folds
/h/ /?/

lingual

tongue

voicing

vibration of the vocal folds

cognates

phonemes that differ only in voicing
-voiced/voiceless
- /s/ /z/= "sip" "zip" /p/ /b/= "pit" "bit

stops/plosives

airflow stopped briefly then released; /p/ /b/ /t/ /d/ /k/ /g/
- stop by closure of oral cavity and raise in velum
-bilabial, alveolar, velar

intraoral pressure

air pressure within the oral cavity

lowercase p

-voiceless
-bilabial stop
-"pack" "upon" "up

lowercase b

- voiced
-bilabial stop
- "be" "baby" "lab

lowercase t

-voiceless
- (lingua) alveolar stop
- "too" "city" "eat

lowercase d

-voiced
- (lingua) alveolar stop
- "do" "lady" "read

nasal plosion

release of air through the nasal cavity
-can be indicate in narrow transcription by using a raised "n

alveolar tap

?
-allophones of /t/ and /d/ combo
-intervocalic following 1st syllable stress: "stutter" "madder" "huddle"
- intervocalic closes a stressed syllable: "fated" "flirted" "static

glottal stop

?
- voiceless; occurs in syllable final position
- allophone of /t/ and /d/ combo; /t/ not released in oral cavity
- "kitten" "mountain

homorganic consonants

phonemes that share the same place of articulation

syllabic consonants

when consonants take on the role of vowels

lowercase k

-voiceless
- (lingua) velar stop
- "cotton" "wreck

lowercase g

-voiced
- (lingua) velar stop
- "gold" "rugged" "aggressive

nasal consonants

when pronounced, the air is forced through the nose; voiced
-/n/, /m/, /ng/

lowercase m

-voiced
-bilabial nasal
- "mark" "cramp

lowercase n

-voiced
-alveolar nasal
- "note" "many" "green

eng (n+g)

-voiced
- velar nasal
- "sing" "link

lowercase f

-voiceless
-labiodental fricative
- "fan" "offer" "leaf

fricative consonants

- produced by forcing the breath stream through a narrow channel or constriction; obstruent
- velopharyngeal port is closed
- creates turbulence
- f, v, ?, �, s, z, ?, ?, h

lowercase v

-voiced
-labiodental fricative

theta

-voiceless
- interdental fricative
- "thermal" "thin" "with

eth

- voiced
- interdental fricative
- "though" "than" "feather

lowercase s

- voiceless
- (lingua) alveolar fricative
- "ts"= "cats" "bats"
- "sun" "missing" "sew

lowercase z

-voiced
- (lingua) alveolar fricative
- "gz"= "bugs" "rags"
- "zoo" "razor" "size

esh

-?
- voiceless
-palatal (postalveolar) fricative
- "ship" "sure" "pressure

yogh

-?
- voiced
- palatal (postalveolar) fricative
- "fusion" "casual" "vision

postalveolar/palatoalveolar

when articulation is just posterior to the place of articulation of the alveolar fricatives
- esh/ yogh

lowercase h

-voicless
- glottal fricative
-"he" "ahead" ''whose

affricate consonants

-combination of stop and fricative manners
-obstruents
-t?, d?

t?

-voicless
- palatal (postalveolar) affricate
- "chick" "etch" "nature

d?

-voiced
-palatal (postalverolar) affricate
- "jelly" "edge" "education

approximate consonants

- glides: /j/ /w/
- liquids: /r/ /l/
-produced with an obstruction in the vocal tract the articulators are merely approximated (not brought together)
-closed velopharygeal port

glides

-gliding motion of articulators
-/j/ /w/

liquids

/l/ /r/

lowercase j

-voiced
-palatal glide
- "your" "feud" "onion"
- j+u= "few

lowercase w

-voiced
-labiovelar glide
- "wet" "choir" "quick

turned r

- voiced
- palatal (postalveolar) liquid
- "red" "stress" "car"
- retroflexed or bunched

retroflex

/r/
- the tip of the tongue doe not touch the roof of the mouth. Tongue curls back into mouth behind alveolar ridge

bunched

body of tongue pulled back into back of mouth with blade near palate for /r/

lowercase l

-voiced
- alveolar liquid
-"lawn" "yellow" "ball"
-lateral: light or dark

l lateral

-/l/ has 2 separate articulations depending on whether the phoneme is prevocalic or postvocalic
- LIGHT /l/: prevocalic; tongue tip is raised to approximate alveolar ridge "lip" "clue"
-DARK /l/: postvocalic; (velarized) tongue tip is lowered and the back