Phonetics key terms

Key Terms

• A phoneme constitutes a unit of sound within a specific language; for example, /s/ in English.
• A grapheme refers to the symbols or letters used in a writing system like the English alphabet.
• A digraph involves one sound represented by two letters, such as "th," "sh," or "ea."
• A phonetic alphabet is a collection of symbols for writing words phonetically.

More Terms

• An allophone is a variant of a phoneme that's often unnoticed by native speakers; "spin" and "pin" are examples.
• A minimal pair includes two words that differ by only one sound, like "Sue" and "zoo."
• A voiced sound is created through vocal fold vibration; voiced /z/ is different from voiceless /s/.
• A diphthong is a "double vowel sound," where two vowels appear together within a syllable's nucleus.

Phonation

• Phonation occurs when voice is produced in speaking.
• The expiratory air stream from the lungs goes up through the trachea or windpipe to the larynx.

Phonation Stage

• This stage happens lungs goes up through the trachea to the larynx.

Resonation Stage

• Voice is initially weak but gains strength and richness through amplification and modification by human resonators.
• Resonation is the process of voice amplification and modification.

Articulation Stage

• Articulation occurs when the tone produced in the larynx is changed into specific sounds.
• This process relies on moving articulators toward articulation points.

Pharynx

• A common passage for air and food.
• Located behind the nose and mouth, including the back of the tongue.
• The pharynx contains three divisions: the nasal, oral, and laryngeal pharynx.

Nose

• The nose includes external and internal parts
• Nostrils are openings of the external nose.
• The nasal cavity lies directly behind the external nose, where air travels to the pharynx.
• The septum divides the external and internal nose into two separate passageways.

Mouth

• The mouth consists of vestibule and oral cavity.
• The vestibule is from the space between the tongue and the teeth.
• The oral cavity starts when you retract the tongue into the mouth.

Speech Organs

• Key speech organs include the pharynx, oral cavity, nasal cavity, uvula, and tongue.
• Other important structures for speech include the hard palate, soft palate (velum), alveolar ridge, teeth, lips, and epiglottis.

Process of Producing Speech

• The air is breathed in, goes to the lungs, and the air is pressed out after
• From the out going the air is now in the mouth cavity
• The air the transits to windpipe to the larynx to the pharynx.

Articulators

• These are what move the lower jaw, uvula, lip, velum and tongue

Points of Articulation

• They include upper lip, upper teeth, the upper alveolar ridge, the hard palate, and the soft palate.

Classification of Speech Sounds

• Speech sounds are categorized as either consonants or vowels.
• Consonants are made by a closure or narrowing in the vocal tract
• Vowels are made without closure or narrowing

Articulation of Consonants

• It refers to narrowing or constriction of the vocal tract.
• The airstream is obstructed in the vocal tract during articulation.
• Active articulators involve the lips and tongue movement
• Passive articulators are non-mobile parts like the upper surface of the mouth.

Consonant Production Classification

• It involves the place of articulation and the manner of articulation
• Classification include whether the vocal cords vibrate, if the sound is oral or nasal, and if it's central or lateral.
• Consonants differ based on the area of contact.

Place of Articulation

• It depends on parts of the vocal tract.
• The name is based on passive articulators.
• Describing English consonants requires understanding the types of obstruction.

Place of Articulation Summary

• bilabials [b], [p], [m] use two lips for articulation.
• labiodentals [f], [v] use lip & teeth for articulation.
• inter-dentals [θ], [ð] use between teeth articulation.
• alveolars [t], [d], [n], [l], [s], [z] use the alveolar ridge for articulation.
• palatals [ž]/[ʒ], [š]/[ʃ], [ʤ], [ʧ]/[č] use the palate for articulation.
• velars [k]. [g], [ŋ] sounds need the velum.
• glottals [h] sounds need the glottis.

How to Describe Consonants

• It involves voicing, the place of articulation, and the manner of articulation.

Vocal Cords

• They include a pair of folds of muscles and cartilages.
• The cords can open and close at various degrees for speech.

Larynx

• It is the primary organ for phonation (voice production)
• Situated at the top of the trachea.
• The protuberance is called the “Adam’s apple”.

Trachea

• Also known as the windpipe
• The passageway for air is going up from the lungs
• A double vowel sound" - two vowels appearing together as the nucleus of a syllable

Articulatory Phonetics

• Explores how speech sounds are made

Auditory Phonetics

• Centers on how speech sounds are heard

Acoustic Phonetics

• Deals with how speech sounds are transmitted

Phonetics (Universal)

• The universal study of sounds produced in speech

Phonology (Local)

• A loca study of the sound system of language and varity of sounds

Articulators

• Lower jaw
• Uvula
• Lower lip
• Velum
• Tongue