16 Questions
What is the primary function of the articulator (place) features?
To specify the place of articulation
Which of the following sounds is NOT a dorsal sound?
Bilabial consonants
What is the function of the [±round] feature in labial sounds?
To distinguish between rounded and unrounded labial sounds
What is the difference between [±anterior] coronal sounds?
The position of the tongue tip
What is the function of the [±strident] feature in coronal sounds?
To distinguish between noisy and non-noisy coronal sounds
Which of the following is an example of a [+anterior] coronal sound?
/tʃ/
What is the primary function of the [±high] feature in dorsal sounds?
To specify the height of the tongue body
Which of the following is NOT a sub-feature of the [CORONAL] feature?
[±round]
What is the main function of laryngeal features?
To define the glottal state of sounds
What does the [+ voice] feature indicate?
The sound is voiced
What is the result of the vocal cords being closely together during articulation?
The sound is voiced
What is the function of the [± spread glottis] feature?
To indicate the aspiration of a segment
What is the result of the vocal folds being spread apart during articulation?
The sound is aspirated
What is the function of the [± constricted glottis] feature?
To denote the degree of closure of the glottis
What is the result of the vocal folds being held closely together during articulation?
The sound is a specific glottal stop
How many laryngeal features are there in total?
3
Study Notes
Distinctive Features
- There are four main types of distinctive features: major class features, manner features, laryngeal features, and articulator (place) features.
Laryngeal Features
- Laryngeal features represent the activity of the larynx and define the glottal state of sounds.
- There are three laryngeal features:
- [± voice]
- [± spread glottis]
- [± constricted glottis]
Voicing
- [± voice] indicates whether vibration of the vocal folds occurs with the articulation of the segment.
- [+ voice] = voiced sounds
- [− voice] = voiceless sounds
Spread Glottis
- [± spread glottis] indicates the aspiration of a segment.
- [+ spread glottis] = aspirated sounds (e.g., [ph, th, kh])
- [− spread glottis] = all other sounds
Constricted Glottis
- [± constricted glottis] denotes the degree of closure of the glottis.
- [+ constricted glottis] = only [ʔ] in English
- [− constricted glottis] = all other sounds
Articulator (Place) Features
- Articulator (place) features are non-binary and related to the position of the tongue.
- There are three articulator (place) features:
- [LABIAL]
- [CORONAL]
- [DORSAL]
Labial Features
- [LABIAL] features are articulated with the lips.
- [LABIAL] features have sub-features:
- [±round]
- [+ round] = labial sounds produced with protruding lips (e.g., rounded vowels and [w])
- [− round] = labial sounds with no protruding lips (e.g., [p, b, f, v, m])
Coronal Features
- [CORONAL] features are articulated with the tip and/or blade of the tongue.
- [CORONAL] features have sub-features:
- [±anterior]
- [+ anterior] = coronal sounds produced in front of the alveopalatal region (e.g., interdental and alveolars)
- [− anterior] = coronal sounds produced at the alveopalatal region (e.g., alveopalatal)
- [±strident]
- [+ strident] = all ‘noisy’ coronal fricative and affricates (e.g., [s, z, ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ])
- [− strident] = all other coronal fricative and affricates (e.g., [θ, ð])
Dorsal Features
- [DORSAL] features are articulated by raising the dorsum of the tongue.
- [DORSAL] features have sub-features:
- [±high]
- [+ high] = dorsal sounds produced with the tongue body in a high position in the mouth
This quiz covers the different types of distinctive features in phonetics, including laryngeal features and their role in determining the characteristics of sounds. Learn about voicing, spread glottis, and constricted glottis and how they impact phonetics.
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