Phonetics and Phonology Revision PDF

Phonetics and Phonology Revision Sheet 1. First Distinction: Language vs. Speech (Saussure) Language (Langue): The entire system of a language, which includes all possible words, pronunciations, grammatical rules, references, and meanings. It is the collective knowledge shared...

Phonetics and Phonology Revision Sheet 1. First Distinction: Language vs. Speech (Saussure) Language (Langue): The entire system of a language, which includes all possible words, pronunciations, grammatical rules, references, and meanings. It is the collective knowledge shared by speakers of a language. Speech (Parole): The actual use of language by individuals in specific instances. It refers to the application of linguistic rules in real-world communication. 2. Second Distinction: Phonetics vs. Phonology Phonetics: The study of the physical properties of speech sounds. It focuses on how speech sounds are produced (articulation) and perceived (auditory perception). It examines the acoustic properties such as pitch, loudness, and length of sounds. Phonology: The study of phonemes, which are the smallest units of sound that can change the meaning of words. Phonology looks at the patterning of sounds in a particular language. 3. The Three Parameters of Speech 1. Pitch: Refers to the height of the sound (high or low), influenced by the speed of vibration of the vocal cords. 2. Length: Refers to the duration of a sound. In languages like English, vowel length can change the meaning of words. 3. Loudness: Relates to the volume or intensity of the sound, which depends on the amount of air and muscular energy used to produce it. It also affects stress in speech. 4. International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) A set of written symbols used to transcribe every human language. Each symbol corresponds to one sound, allowing accurate representation of speech sounds regardless of the language. 5. Graphématics (Writing System) Graphématique deals with graphemes, which are the written units of a language (letters, symbols). It examines how written forms represent spoken sounds and how this affects spelling and pronunciation. 6. Stress (Accentuation) in Spoken English Stress refers to the emphasis placed on certain syllables within words or on specific words within sentences. It plays a crucial role in changing the meaning and rhythm of spoken language. Primary Stress: Every word has a primary stressed syllable, even monosyllabic words. French vs. English Stress: French does not have stress in the same way as English; instead, French has lengthening of the final vowel in the syllable. Stress and Rhythm: Stress-Timed Language: English is a stress-timed language, meaning the rhythm of English speech depends on stress. Stressed syllables are longer and occur at regular intervals. 7. Morphology and Stress Patterns Morphology: The structure of a word (its root, suffixes, and prefixes) influences its stress pattern. Suffixes (end of the word) and Prefixes (beginning of the word) affect how stress is distributed in a word. 8. Voicing and Vowel Characteristics Voiced Sounds: Involve vibration of the vocal cords (e.g., all vowels). Voiceless Sounds: Do not involve vocal cord vibration (e.g., [p], [t]). Oral Sounds: The airflow exits through the mouth (e.g., [k], [s]). Nasal Sounds: The airflow exits through the nose (e.g., [m], [n]). Vowels in English vs. French: English has 24 vowel sounds, while French has 16 vowel sounds. Short vowels (lax vowels) differ from long vowels (tense vowels) in terms of duration and articulation. 9. Vowel Articulation Parameters Aperture: The opening of the jaw when articulating a vowel. Lip Rounding/Stretching: How the lips are shaped (rounded or spread) when producing a vowel. Position: The retraction or advancement of the tongue during articulation. 10. Graphophonology The study of the connection between written symbols (graphemes) and spoken sounds (phonemes). It explores how spelling affects pronunciation and vice versa. 11. Short and Long Vowels Short Vowels: Found before consonants (rarely before 'r'). They are never found at the end of a word or before another vowel. Diphthongs: Complex vowel sounds that involve a glide from one vowel to another. Examples: [ai] as in high, [ɔi] as in boy. Long Vowels: Often represented by digraphs (two vowels pronounced as a single sound), such as ea in sea or oo in moon. 12. Reduced Vowels in English [A] (Schwa) – ə [I] (Schwee) – ɪ [U] (Schwoo) – ʊ Rules: Reduced vowels cannot appear in stressed syllables. They are found in unstressed syllables or at the ends of words (except in prefixes). 13. Consonant Parameters Voicing: Whether the vocal cords vibrate during sound production. Place of Articulation: Where the airflow is obstructed in the vocal tract (e.g., bilabial, alveolar). Manner of Articulation: How the air is released through the vocal cords (e.g., stop, fricative, nasal). 14. Intonation in English Intonation refers to the rise and fall of the voice in speech, similar to musical pitch. It is closely linked to stress and rhythm. There are three main patterns of intonation in English: 1. Falling Intonation: Used for statements or commands. 2. Rising Intonation: Used for yes/no questions. 3. Fall-Rise Intonation: Used for statements with uncertainty or when indicating contrast.