Phonetics Overview Quiz

Phonetics

• Phoneme: A distinctive sound that changes the meaning of words;
• Allophone: A phonetic variation of a phoneme that does not affect word meaning;
• Minimal Pair: Two words that differ in a single sound, demonstrating how sounds change meaning;

Branches of Phonetics

• Articulatory Phonetics: Studies the production of speech sounds;
• Acoustic Phonetics: Analyzes physical properties of sounds as they travel;
• Auditory Phonetics: Investigates how sounds are perceived by the ear and brain;

The Speech Mechanism: Stages

• Initiation: Air is expelled from the lungs providing energy for speech;
• Phonotation: Vocal folds vibrate to produce sound;
• Oro-Nasal Process: Airflow is directed to the oral or nasal cavity, creating oral or nasal sounds; -Nasals: Air escapes through the nose;

Articulators in Speech Sound Production

• Lips: Produce bilabial sounds (e.g., /p/, /b/);
• Teeth: Used for dental sounds (e.g., /θ/ in "thin");
• Alveolar Ridge: The ridge behind the upper teeth; used for sounds like /t/, /d/, /s/;
• Hard Palate: The roof of the mouth; important for palatal sounds (e.g., /ʃ/);
• Velum (Soft Palate): Used for velar sounds (e.g., /k/, /g/);
• Tongue: The most versatile articulator; different parts produce various sounds;
• Vocal Folds: In the larynx, vibrate to produce voiced sounds;

Vowel and Consonant Properties

• Vowels: Voiced sounds with no significant obstruction; form the nucleus of syllables;
• Consonants: Involve some degree of obstruction in the vocal tract; can be voiced or voiceless;
• Sonorants: Consonants with a more open airflow, similar to vowels (e.g., nasals, approximants);

Vowel Articulation

• Open Vowels: Produced with a wider mouth opening (e.g., /a/, /æ/);
• Closed Vowels: Articulated with a narrower mouth opening (e.g., /i/, /u/);
• Front Vowels: Tongue positioned towards the front (e.g., /i/, /e/);
• Back Vowels: Tongue positioned towards the back (e.g., /u/, /ɔ/);
• Cardinal Vowels: Reference vowels for classifying vowel sounds;
  • Primary: Foundational vowels (e.g., /i/, /u/);
  • Secondary: Derived from primary vowels with variations in tongue positions;

Lip Positions in Speech

• Spread Lips: Lips pulled apart (e.g., /i/);
• Neutral Lips: Lips relaxed (e.g., /ə/);
• Rounded Lips: Lips rounded and protruded (e.g., /u/);

Voicoids and Contoids

• Voicoids: Vowel-like sounds without full closure (e.g., /j/, /w/);
• Contoids: Consonant-like sounds with constriction (e.g., /p/, /t/, /k/);

The Larynx and Vocal Folds

• Larynx: "Voice box"; contains the vocal folds;
• Vocal Folds: Vibrate to produce sound;
  • Open: Air passes freely, creating voiceless sounds (e.g., /s/);
  • Partially Closed: Produce breathy or murmured sounds;
  • Closed: Produce voiced sounds (e.g., /b/);

Respiration and Voicing

• Respiration: Provides the airstream for sound production;
  • Affects loudness and pitch;
• Voicing: Varies based on vocal fold position;
  • Voiced: Vocal folds together;
  • Voiceless: Vocal folds apart;

Production of Plosive Sounds

• Plosive Sounds: Complete closure of airflow followed by sudden release;
  • /p/: Bilabial closure and release;
  • /t/: Tongue against the alveolar ridge;
  • /k/: Back of the tongue against the soft palate;

Fortis (Voiceless) and Lenis (Voiced) Consonants

• Fortis (Voiceless): Produced with greater tension and airflow (e.g., /p/, /t/, /k/, /s/);
• Lenis (Voiced): Produced with less tension, often with a voiced quality (e.g., /b/, /d/, /g/, /z/);

Phonetics vs. Phonology

• Phonetics: Study of the physical properties of speech sounds (articulation, acoustics, perception);
• Phonology: Study of how sounds function within a language (sound systems and patterns);

Affricates and Fricatives

• Affricates: Start as stops and release as fricatives (e.g., /tʃ/, /dʒ/);
• Fricatives: Produced by forcing air through a narrow constriction, creating turbulence (e.g., /f/, /v/, /s/, /ʃ/);

Lateral Approximants and Approximants

• Lateral Approximant: Airflow around the sides of the tongue (e.g., /l/);
• Approximants: Less constriction than fricatives, allowing for smooth airflow (e.g., /r/, /j/);

Role of the Uvula in Speech

• Uvula: Small, fleshy extension at the back of the soft palate;
  • Uvular Sounds: Produced by raising the back of the tongue towards the uvula;
  • Nasal Resonance: Helps regulate airflow through the nasal cavity;

Role of the Tongue in Vowel Production

• Tongue's Role: Influences the quality, height, and backness of vowels;
  • Height: Vertical tongue position;
  • Backness: Horizontal tongue position;
  • Tension and Rounding: Affect vowel quality;

Voiced, Voiceless, and Aspirated Sounds

• Voiced Sounds: Vocal folds vibrate;
• Voiceless Sounds: No vocal fold vibration;
• Aspirated Sounds: Voiceless consonants with a burst of air following release (e.g., /pʰ/, /tʰ/, /kʰ/);