Phonetics, Pronunciation, and Articulators: NGUAM Document PDF

**MAIN LESSON** =============== Phonetics: the study of **speech sounds, their production and combination, and their representation** by written phonetic symbols. Why we need to study: - know how to pronounce a particular sound correctly - know how to pronounce the sounds which don't exist i...

**MAIN LESSON** =============== Phonetics: the study of **speech sounds, their production and combination, and their representation** by written phonetic symbols. Why we need to study: - know how to pronounce a particular sound correctly - know how to pronounce the sounds which don't exist in our mother tongue **LESSON 1: THE ORGANS OF SPEECH/ARTICULATORS**[^1^](#fn1){#fnref1.footnote-ref} {#lesson-1-the-organs-of-speecharticulators} ================================================================================= The sounds are produced **by airflow from the lungs into the throat** and then **pass through the nose or the mouth**. \_ **Lips**: 2 parts: upper/lower; are pressed together or **brought in contact with the teeth**. \_ **Teeth**: 2 parts: upper/lower. \_ **Tongue**: **4 parts**: tip/front/middle/back; can be moved into different places. \_ **Alveolar ridge** (Tooth ridge): just **behind the upper teeth** \_ **Hard palate**: often called **"the roof of the mouth"** \_ **Soft palate** (Velum): **the extreme back of the roof of the mouth**; can be **raised or lowered** to **open or close the passage to the nasal** cavity. \_ **Glottis**: the **opening between the vocal folds**/cords \_ **Vocal cords** (Vocal folds): can be moved into 4 positions, are in the throat (Adam's apple); may open or close, and **let the air pass through** the opening between them. - When they are **apart**, **air passes freely** **without the vibration** produces **voiceless sounds.** - When they **close tightly** and **open rapidly** causing **vibration** produces **voiced** sounds. \_ **Pharynx**[^2^](#fn2){#fnref2.footnote-ref}: a **tube** begins just **below the larynx**[^3^](#fn3){#fnref3.footnote-ref} \_ **Lower jaw**: changes the size of the oral cavity \_ **Nose and nasal cavity**: making nasal sounds /m/, /n/, /ng/ **EXERCISE: HOMONYM** 1. Travel word rhythms with ISLE: AISLE 2. Time word rhythms with KNIGHT: NIGHT 3. Place word rhythms with SIGHT: SITE 4. Number word rhythms with SOME: SUM 5. Sound word rhythms with ALLOWED: ALOUD 6. Transportation word rhythms with RODE: ROAD 7. Golf--related word rhythms with TEA: TEE 8. Color action word rhythms with DIE: DYE 9. Past simple word rhythms with NEW: KNEW **LESSONS 2: VOWELS** ===================== **Characteristic** ------------------ 5 main vowels: a, e, i, o, and u (semivowel, ex: university) in total: 20 vowels: **12 cardinal single vowels, 8 diphthongs.** - **Uninterrupted sounds**[^4^](#fn4){#fnref4.footnote-ref} - **Voiced**[^5^](#fn5){#fnref5.footnote-ref} - **Syllabic**[^6^](#fn6){#fnref6.footnote-ref} Ex: coffee: two vowels (o, e) two syllables B. **Classification** 1. **Single vowels:** Full name contains **5 elements** 1. **Position of the tongue:** Front, Centre, Back **\_ Front: /ɪ/, /i:/, /e/, /æəʌɪ/ & /i:/: distinct in Length and Muscle tension (the latter is long--tense)** - /e/ Front -- Half open -- Neutral -- Short -- Relaxed - /æ/: Front -- Open -- Neutral - Short -- **Tense** B. **The common spelling form of the sound** 1. **/i:ɪeæɜːʌəu:ʊɔ:ɒɑ:ɪəptkbdgfshvzwrj is followed by /u/: Brits add /j/ in between** American speakers don't pronounce /j/ in some words like new and student. - With /j/: Are you a new student? /nju: 'stju:dənt/ - Without /j/: Are you a new student? /nu: 'stu:dənt/ More ex: Tuesday, newspaper, sewage, student, stupid Last Friday, Linh licked lime lollipops by the lake in LA because she loved their lively flavor. **LESSON 13: LATERAL** ====================== \_ A lateral consonant is made with a complete closure between the tip of the tongue and the alveolar ridge; the only way for the air to escape is **along the sides** of the tongue. \_ Voiced -- Alveolar -- Lateral **\_ Divison: clear /l/ - dark /l/** Ex: English, well, help, tall - Dark: firm contact made by the tip of the tongue and the tooth ridge \_ Lateral explosion: /t,d/ + /l/ (Alveolar Stop -- Alveolar Lateral) - The air pressure that is built up during the stop is released by lowering the sides of the tongue - Occurs in words and between words Ex: badly; sadly; bad luck; at last - Syllabic consonants: consonants that form the centre of a syllable Ex: syllabic /l/: Little: /lɪtl/; Uncle: /angkl/ **EXERCISE: MINIMAL PAIRS** --------------------------- +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | /l/ | /r/ | +===================================+===================================+ | Lip | Rip | | | | | Lap | Rap | | | | | Light | Right | | | | | Law | Raw | | | | | Lead | Read | | | | | List | Wrist | | | | | Belly | Berry | | | | | Collect | Correct | | | | | Alive | Arrive | | | | | Long | Wrong | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ **LESSON 14: NASAL CONSONANTS** =============================== 1. **Listing** In the production of nasal consonants, the breath is completely stopped at some point in the mouth (as for the plosive consonants); but it is then permitted to escape through the nose as the velum is lowered. 2. **Production** **Bilabial** **Alveolar** **Velar** ------------ -------------- -------------- ----------- **Voiced** **M** **n** - Bilabial -- Voiced -- Nasal Commong spelling form: m, mm, mb, mn Ex: me, summer, comb, autumn - Alveolar -- Voiced -- Nasal Common spelling form: n, nn, kn Ex: new, dinner, knew - Velar -- Voiced -- Nasal  Common spelling form: Ex evening, long; bank, thanks; angry, finger 3. **Notes** **EXERCISE: WRITE THESE WORDS** ------------------------------- Moon Wrong Drink Uncle Knives Comb Thing Stronger **LESSON 15: INTONATION** ========================= \_ Rising: "Yes/No" question \# Falling "Wh-" question **\_ "Wh-" question: Rising: Old content (Mentioned) \# Falling: New content (Not yet mentioned)** ::: {.section.footnotes} ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. ::: {#fn1} parts of the vocal tract that can make changes to the flow of air[↩](#fnref1){.footnote-back} ::: 2. ::: {#fn2} Hầu[↩](#fnref2){.footnote-back} ::: 3. ::: {#fn3} Thanh quản[↩](#fnref3){.footnote-back} ::: 4. ::: {#fn4} without any stoppage of the airstream in the oral cavity[↩](#fnref4){.footnote-back} ::: 5. ::: {#fn5} Produced by voiced air passing through different mouth shapes[↩](#fnref5){.footnote-back} ::: 6. ::: {#fn6} forming the center of a syllable[↩](#fnref6){.footnote-back} ::: 7. ::: {#fn7} raised/lowered/normal[↩](#fnref7){.footnote-back} ::: 8. ::: {#fn8} a combination of 2 vowels produced within one syllable[↩](#fnref8){.footnote-back} ::: 9. ::: {#fn9} same: initial + ending sound; different: vowels, consonants[↩](#fnref9){.footnote-back} ::: 10. ::: {#fn10} same: initial + ending sound; different: vowels, consonants[↩](#fnref10){.footnote-back} ::: :::