5 Questions
What is phonetic transcription?
The visual representation of speech sounds by means of symbols
Why do written forms (orthography) often not accurately represent pronunciation?
Pronunciation changes over time, but the written forms are not modified accordingly
Why do words borrowed from other languages may retain the original spelling?
The original spelling may have a different system of correspondences between written symbols and speech sounds
Why is it difficult to predict pronunciation from spelling in some languages like English and Tibetan?
Standard orthography in these languages is often irregular
What is a common example demonstrating the irregularity in English pronunciation and spelling?
The words bough, chough, cough, though and through do not rhyme
Study Notes
Phonetic Transcription and Orthography
- Phonetic transcription is a system of writing that represents the exact sounds of spoken languages in a unique and consistent way.
- Written forms (orthography) often do not accurately represent pronunciation because they have evolved from historical and cultural influences.
Language Borrowing and Spelling
- Words borrowed from other languages often retain their original spelling, even if the pronunciation is adapted to the borrowing language.
- This is because language borrowing can occur through various means, such as trade, migration, or cultural exchange.
Predicting Pronunciation from Spelling
- In some languages like English and Tibetan, it is difficult to predict pronunciation from spelling due to the complex history of language development.
- This complexity arises from the blending of languages, dialects, and historical spelling reforms.
English Pronunciation and Spelling Irregularity
- A common example demonstrating the irregularity in English pronunciation and spelling is the word "ough", which can be pronounced differently in words like "cough", "through", "though", and "bough".
- This irregularity arises from the blending of Old English, Latin, and French influences on the English language.
Test your knowledge of phonetic transcription with this quiz. Explore the International Phonetic Alphabet and its symbols, and learn how to visually represent speech sounds accurately.
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