Introduction to Phonetics

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Questions and Answers

What is the difference between voiced and voiceless sounds in terms of vocal fold activity?

Voiced sounds involve vibrating vocal folds, while voiceless sounds occur when the vocal folds are apart.

What parts make up the vocal tract and how are they divided?

The vocal tract consists of the oral tract and the nasal tract, encompassing passages in the mouth and nose.

What are articulators in the context of speech production?

Articulators are the parts of the vocal tract that can move to form sounds, such as the tongue and lips.

How do active and passive articulators differ?

<p>Active articulators are mobile parts like the tongue and lower lip, while passive articulators are non-mobile, such as the upper lip and teeth.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Identify and briefly describe the four main components of the speech mechanism.

<p>The four components are the airstream process, phonation process, oro-nasal process, and articulatory process.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role does the airstream process play in speech production?

<p>The airstream process involves the respiratory system pushing air, which is crucial for producing sounds.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Explain the phonation process in simple terms.

<p>The phonation process is the action of the vocal folds either vibrating for voiced sounds or remaining apart for voiceless sounds.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the oro-nasal process affect sound production?

<p>The oro-nasal process determines whether the airstream goes through the mouth or nose, affecting sound qualities.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is phonetics and why is it significant in linguistics?

<p>Phonetics is the branch of linguistics that studies how humans produce and perceive sounds. It is significant because it helps us understand the characteristics of speech sounds and their relation to language.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Identify and briefly describe the three branches of phonetics.

<p>The three branches of phonetics are articulatory phonetics, which studies sound production; acoustic phonetics, which examines sound properties; and auditory phonetics, which focuses on how sounds are perceived by the ear.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Explain how speech sounds are produced using the respiratory system.

<p>Speech sounds are produced when air pushed by the respiratory system flows through the trachea into the larynx, where it interacts with the vocal cords to create sound.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the two basic positions of the vocal cords during sound production?

<p>The two basic positions of the vocal cords are spread apart, allowing unimpeded airflow, and drawn together, creating vibration as air pushes them apart.</p> Signup and view all the answers

List the four main components of the speech mechanism.

<p>The four main components of the speech mechanism are the lungs, trachea, larynx, and vocal cords.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the airstream mechanism in phonetics?

<p>The airstream mechanism is significant because it provides the power necessary for producing speech sounds, with the pulmonic airstream being the most common.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do vocal cords contribute to the classification of sounds?

<p>Vocal cords contribute to sound classification by vibrating to create voiced sounds or remaining apart for voiceless sounds.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Provide an example of how one letter can represent multiple sounds, as noted in phonetics.

<p>The letter 'u' can be pronounced as /i/ in 'busy', /Ë„/ in 'cut', and /ÊŠ/ in 'put'.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

What is Phonetics?

The study of how humans produce and perceive speech sounds. It examines the characteristics of speech sounds and their relationships within languages.

Articulatory Phonetics

This branch focuses on the physical production of speech sounds, examining the movements of the mouth, tongue, and other articulators.

Acoustic Phonetics

This branch analyzes the acoustic properties of speech sounds, studying how they are transmitted as sound waves.

Auditory Phonetics

This branch deals with the way humans perceive and process speech sounds, exploring how our brains interpret the signals sent by our ears.

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Airstream Mechanism

It refers to the movement of air from the lungs, which serves as the power source for speech production.

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Pulmonic Airstream

Air from the lungs is pushed out through the vocal cords. This is the most common airstream mechanism in speech.

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Velaric Airstream

A buildup of air pressure in the mouth is released to produce sounds. This mechanism is used in some clicks and certain consonants.

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Glotalic Airstream

Air pressure is built up behind the closed vocal cords, then released to produce sound. This mechanism is used in some consonants like those found in some languages.

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Glottis

The space between the two vocal folds.

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Vocal Tract

The air passages above the larynx. It includes the oral tract (mouth and pharynx) and the nasal tract (nose).

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Active Articulators

The parts of the vocal tract that move to create speech sounds.

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Passive Articulators

The non-moving parts of the vocal tract that speech sounds are formed against.

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Airstream Process

The process by which the lungs push air out.

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Phonation Process

The process of the vocal folds vibrating or being apart.

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Oro-nasal Process

The process of air flowing through the mouth or nose.

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Articulatory Process

The process involving the movement of the tongue and lips against the roof of the mouth and pharynx.

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Study Notes

Introduction to Phonetics

  • Phonetics is a branch of linguistics, studying how humans produce and perceive sounds.
  • It's the study of the characteristics of speech sounds.
  • Sounds and letters don't have a one-to-one relationship. A letter might be pronounced differently in various words. For example, the letter "u" is pronounced /i/ in "busy," /∧/ in "cut," and /u/ in "put."
  • Sounds can be written in various ways. The /k/ sound can be written as {k} in "king," [c] in "cat," [ch] in "chronic," and [q] in "queen."

Topics Covered

  • What is Phonetics?
  • Three branches of Phonetics
  • How speech sounds are produced?
  • Two basic positions of the vocal cords
  • The organs of speech (articulators)
  • Four main components of speech mechanism: airstream, phonation, oro-nasal, and articulatory processes
  • Air-steam mechanism (Pulmonic, Glottalic, Velaric)

Main Areas of Phonetics

  • Articulatory Phonetics: Studies the production of speech sounds
  • Acoustic Phonetics: Examines the physical properties of speech sound waves
  • Auditory Phonetics: Focuses on the perception of speech sounds.

How Speech Sounds Are Produced

  • Speech sound production requires energy, primarily from the respiratory system (lungs).
  • Air travels from the lungs up the trachea (windpipe) and into the larynx.
  • The air passes through the vocal folds, which can be open or closed.
  • Vibrating vocal folds create voiced sounds.
  • When vocal folds are open, voiceless sounds are produced.

Vocal Cords Positions

  • Vocal cords spread apart; airflow is unimpeded (voiceless sounds).
  • Vocal cords drawn together; airflow vibrates the folds (voiced sounds).

The Vocal Tract

  • The vocal tract is the area above the larynx.
  • It's divided into the oral tract and the nasal tract.
  • The shape of the vocal tract is crucial in producing speech sounds.
  • Articulators (tongue, lips) shape the airflow to produce sounds.
  • Active articulators (tongue, lower lip) move relatively freely.
  • The passive articulators (upper lip, alveolar ridge) are stationary.

Four Main Components of Speech Mechanism

  • Airstream Process: Air from the lungs is the primary energy source.
  • Phonation Process: Vocal folds vibrate to make voiced sounds or remain apart for voiceless ones.
  • Oro-nasal Process: Air flows through the mouth (oral sounds) or the nose (nasal sounds).
  • Articulatory Process: Shapes the airflow to create specific sounds using tongue, lips, and other organs

Air-stream Mechanisms

  • Pulmonic: Air from the lungs is the source for speech
  • Glottalic: Air pressure manipulation in the larynx produces sounds.
  • Velaric: The tongue's position affects sound production.

The Pulmonic Airstream Mechanism

  • Uses lung air as the source of energy for speech production.

The Glottalic Airstream Mechanism

  • Uses the glottis (the opening between the vocal folds) to create pressure differences.

The Velaric Airstream Mechanism

  • Involves the velum's (soft palate) closing off the nasal passage.
  • It can also be created by tongue positioning to the back of the mouth.

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