Phonetics Study Guide - Language and Speech (PDF)

📚 STUDY GUIDE – PHONETIC 1 📚 1. Properties of Human Language vs. Communication Communication → A universal phenomenon: interaction + transmission of information using different systems. Language → A system of arbitrary [vocal] symbols by which a social group cooperates. Main Human Language Fe...

📚 STUDY GUIDE – PHONETIC 1 📚 1. Properties of Human Language vs. Communication Communication → A universal phenomenon: interaction + transmission of information using different systems. Language → A system of arbitrary [vocal] symbols by which a social group cooperates. Main Human Language Features 1. Vocal-Auditory Channel: Speech is vocalized and received by hearing. 2. Broadcast Transmission: Speech sounds spread in all directions. 3. Directional Reception: We can detect where a sound comes from. 4. Total Feedback: We hear and self-monitor our speech in real time. Other Properties of Human Language 5. Discreteness: Sounds are individual and combined into units. 6. Transitoriness: Speech is temporary and fades quickly. 7. Interchangeability: Speakers can both send and receive messages. 8. Productivity: Ability to produce infinite new messages. 9. Arbitrariness: No logical connection between form and meaning. 10. Duality of Patterning: Meaningless sounds → meaningful combinations. 11. Semanticity: Language conveys meaning. 12. Displacement: Talk about past/future/imaginary situations. 13. Cultural Transmission: Language is learned, not inherited. 14. Reflexivity: We can talk about language itself. 📚 2. The System that Studies Human Language (Linguistics + Branches) Linguistics = The scientific study of human language. Main Branches: Morphology + Syntax = Grammar / Word formation and structure  Phonetics & Phonology = Sounds of speech Semantics = Meaning of words and sentences Pragmatics = Language use in context Historical Linguistics = Language change over time Psycholinguistics = Mind and language Computational Linguistics = Language + computer science Sociolinguistics = Language and society 📚 3. Phonetics vs. Phonology Phonetics Phonology Physical production and perception Mental/abstract sound systems Focus on real speech sounds Focus on phonemes and their patterns (segments) All about how we produce sounds All about how sounds function in a language Studies: Studies: - Segments (Consonants/Vowels) - Phonemes & Allophones - Articulation - Syllable structure - Acoustic/Auditory properties - Stress, pitch, intonation 📚 4. Speech Chain (Levels of Analysis) 1. Linguistic Level (Speaker): Thoughts → words/sounds 2. Physiological Level (Speaker): Brain signals → muscles/organs of speech 3. Acoustic Level: Sound travels as waves 4. Physiological Level (Listener): Ear receives sound → neural signals 5. Linguistic Level (Listener): Interpretation → response 👉 Production → Comprehension → Response 📚 5. Speech Mechanism Stages of Speech Production: Airstream Mechanism: ○ Pulmonic: From lungs (most common) ○ Glottalic: From vocal folds ○ Velaric: From the mouth (clicks) ○ Direction: Egressive: Outward airflow Ingressive: Inward airflow Phonation: ○ Voiced: Vocal cords vibrate ○ Voiceless: No vibration Resonance: ○ Air passes through nasal/oral cavities → modifies voice quality Articulation: ○ Movements in the mouth shape distinct sounds (tongue, lips, palate, etc.) 📚 6. Vowel Sounds – Characteristics Vowels = Sounds with little or no obstruction to airflow Types: Monophthongs: One pure vowel sound (13 total) Diphthongs: A glide between two vowel sounds in one syllable (8 total)  Triphthongs: A glide between three vowel sounds in one syllable (5 total) Described by: Tongue Height (High – Mid – Low) Tongue Backness (Front – Central – Back) Lips Position (Rounded – Unrounded) 📚 7. IPA & Phonemic Transcription IPA = International Phonetic Alphabet → System of symbols to represent sounds Key Points: Use slashes // for phonemic transcription Stress is marked with ˈ before the stressed syllable /ə/ = schwa, neutral unstressed vowel Double letters don’t mean double sounds Some authors use /ɛ/ instead of /e/ Example: banana → /bəˈnɑːnə/ ✨ 8. Sound and Spelling Issues Allograph: Same sound, different spellings (e.g., phone, fun) Homophones: Same pronunciation, different meaning/spelling (see / sea) Homographs: Same spelling, different pronunciation/meaning (lead - metal vs verb) Language A system of arbitrary [vocal] symbols by means of which a social group cooperates General Human Language Features Vocal-Auditory Channel: Human language is primarily transmitted through speech (vocal) and received through hearing (auditory). Broadcast Transmission Speech sounds radiate in all directions, allowing anyone nearby to hear them. Directional Reception Humans have the ability to identify the sound's origin, determining where the speaker is located. Total Feedback Speaker's ability to hear and internally monitor their own speech, allowing for real-time self- correction and adjustment during communication. Properties of Language 1. Discreteness 2. Transitoriness 3. Interchangeability 4. Productivity 5. Arbitrariness 6. Duality of Patterning (Double Articulation) 7. Semanticity 8. Displacement 9. Cultural Transmission 10. Reflexivity Linguistic and its Disciplines Morphology Syntax: Morphosyntax (Grammar) Historical linguistics Semantics Pragmatics Phonetics and phonology Psycholinguistic Computational linguistic Sociolinguistics WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY? Phonetics Object of Study SEGMENTS Each one of the pieces that composes a continuous stream ofsounds. PHONEMES AND SYMBOLS Abstract set of units as the basis of our speech, and their representation in written forms. THE PRODUCTION OF SPEECH SOUNDS Articulatory System and their functions; description of the sounds Phonology Object of Study ALLOPHONES Different realisation of phonemes. CONNECTED SPEECH Natural Speech Flow ACCENT AND DIALECTS A different way of pronouncing a language vs a different way of pronouncing and structuring the language. SYLLABLES Units with a centre which has little or no obstruction to airflow. SUPRASEGMENTALS Stress, Loudness, Tone, Intonation, Pitch, Length, Juncture Patterns. Phonetics areas of study ARTICULATORY PHONETIC How language is physically produced by the vocal apparatus. ACOUSTIC PHONETIC How speech manipulates sound waves AUDITORY PHONETIC The hearing of speech sounds and the speech perception. Phonology Areas of study Study of Phonemic System Phonological Representations (Allophones) Phoneme sequences and Syllable Structures Restrictions and regularities in a particular language. Suprasegmental Phonology Prosodic features: Stress, Accent, Intonation Aspects of Connected Speech Phenomena involved in the natural speec Varieties of English Pronunciation Accents and Dialects Speech chain Production > Comprehension > Response Linguistic Level > Psysiological Level > Acoustic Level > Psysiological Level > Linguistic Level. Speech Sounds Speech sounds, also known as segments, are the individual sounds that make up spoken language. They are the smallest discrete units of speech that can be analyzed and categorized. Speech sounds (Segments) Consonants The production involves some kind of obstruction of the air flow. Vowels A sound whose production allows the air to flow with little or no obstruction WHAT IS IPA? (INTERNATIONAL PHONETIC ALPHABET) Mechanisms of Speech Production Airstream > Phonation > Resonance > Articulation AIRSTREAM Direction of the airflow / How the airflow is initiated Direction Ingressive The air goes inward Egressive The air goes outward Initiation Pulmonic The stream is created in the lungs. Velaric The stream is created in the oral cavity. It uses suction to create differentials in air pressure. Glottalic The stream is created in the larynx, by closing the vocal folds. PHONATION The vibration of the vocal folds produces a voiced sound. If not, the sound is voiceless. RESONANCE The air flow can go out through the oral or nasal cavity (resonators) Here the air from the lungs escapes into the atmosphere. The oral and nasal cavities change the quality or voice color. ARTICULATION The process to distinguish the speech sounds. It occurs in the mouth. What are the organs of the speech? WHAT’S A PHONEME? The smallest unit of sound in a language that can change the meaning of a word. TYPE OF SOUNDS Vocalic Sounds Monophthongs: It’s a sound whose production lets the air flows without any (or with little) obstruction. Pure vowels Single vowel sound 13 sounds Diphthongs: A Sound formed by the combination of two vowel sounds in a single syllable. Two vowels in the same syllable. 8 sounds Triphthongs: A sound formed by the combination of three vowels sounds in a single syllable. Three vowels together, all produced rapidly and without interruption. 5 sounds MAKING VOWELS CONSIDERATIONS Lips Position Tongue Backness Tongue Height ARTICULATION OF VOWEL SOUNDS? Sounds And Speeling Allograph: One sound may have different spellings Homophones: Two words may have the same pronunciation but different spelling Homographs: Two words may have the same spelling but different pronunciation. PHONEMIC TRANSCRIPTION We use symbols to represent pronunciation. The symbol ˈ comes before a stressed syllable. Phonemic transcription is written between slashes (//) Schwa /ə/ represents an unstressed vowel sound. Double consonants in spelling don’t mean double sounds. Some authors use /ɛ/ instad of /e/ SHORT VOWELS: Spoken English contains 6 short vowel sounds. /i/ and /ə/ are also considered short vowel sounds by some authors. A short vowel has a quick sound. LONG VOWELS: Long vowels take more time to say than short vowels. You can hear them clearly and hold them slightly longer. Long vowels often occur in stressed syllables of the word. What's an accent and dialect?