The sounds of language Phonetics Chapter 4 1 Recap Language vs. other communicative systems Universal characteristics of language Displacement Arbitrariness Productivity Cultural transmission Duality 2
Match Human language can refer to past and future time and other locations The ordinary language user can manipulate his linguistic resources to produce new expressions and new sentences The process whereby language is passed on from one generation to the next is called... Language is organized on two levels or layers simultaneously There is an arbitrary relationship between the linguistic signs and the objects of the real world 3 Phonetics Knowledge of a language includes Knowledge of sounds How they are combined to form meaningful units Some sounds are found in one language but not another All the sounds in the world constitute a limited set of the sounds the human vocal tract can produce 4
Phonetics- Basics Definition: the study of human speech sounds Know what an individual sound is. Cat is one continuous sound? It consists of [k] represented by the letter c, the vowel [æ] represented by a and the final [t] It doesn t depend on spelling 5 The sound-spelling relationship Did he believe that Caesar could see the people seize the seas? To too two through threw clue shoe tough uff cough off bough aw though oh through ooh borough uh hiccough up 6
The sound-spelling relationship Spelling is not a reliable guide to pronouncing a word in English A system is needed where one sound corresponds to one symbol and one symbol corresponds to one sound. Phonetic Alphabet- one symbol for each sound. International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to symbolize all sounds of all languages 7 Fields of Phonetics Articulatory phonetics How sounds are produced Acoustic phonetics Physical properties of sounds Auditory phonetics How sounds are perceived This class: Articulatory phonetics 8
Articulatory phonetics Questions: How can we describe speech sounds in terms of how they are produced in the vocal tract? How can we transcribe these sounds? Goal: A systematic method of how to describe and transcribe the sounds occurring in human languages. 9 How Are Sounds Produced? Most sounds are produced by an air stream coming from the lungs passing through one or more speech organs. Where and how the air stream is obstructed determine the identity of the sound produced. When the shape of the vocal tract changes, different sounds are produced. 10
Speech Production Mechanism VOCAL TRACT Nasal cavity Oral cavity Pharynx (shapes sounds) LARYNX Vocal folds Glottis (voicing) LUNGS Energy source 11 Vocal Organs- articulators 12
Consonants & Vowels Sounds Sounds Consonants Obstruction of airflow Vowels Free flow of air 13 Consonants Consonants are classified according to three parameters. Voicing Place of articulation Manner of articulation 14
Voicing Voicing occurs in the larynx where the vocal folds are. 15 Voicing When the vocal folds are held together, they start to vibrate when air passes through them a voiced sound. E.g. zzzzzzzzzzz vvvvvvvvvvvvv When they are held apart, they cannot vibrate; air passes freely through them a voiceless sound. E.g. ssssssssssssss ffffffffffffff 16
Places of articulation- English Where in the vocal tract the airflow is restricted. Bilabial- two lips [b, p, m] Labiodental- upper teeth & lower lip [f, v] Dental- between the teeth [θ, ð ] Alveolar- front part of the tongue on alveolar ridge [s, z, n, t, d, l] Palatal- front part of the tongue on the hard palate [ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ, j] Velar- the back of the tongue on the velum [k, g, ŋ] Glottal- through open glottis [h] 17 Places of articulation Bilabials 18
Places of articulation 19 Place of articulation Labiodentals 20
Place of articulation 21 Places of articulation 22
Places of articulation 23 Places of articulation 24
Glottal stop and flap Glottal stop [ʔ [ occurs when the space between the vocal cords (the glottis) is closed completely. American pronunciation of Oh oh bottle batman Flap [ [ ɾproduced by the tongue tip tapping the alveolar ridge briefly. American pronunciation of Latter writer metal 25 Manner of articulation [b] and [m] voiced bilabials [d] and [z] voiced alveolar [t] and [s] voiceless alveolar How are they different? In the way the air is restricted in the vocal tract manner of articulation 26
Manners of articulation Stops complete blockage [p, t, k, b, d, g] (also plosives) Fricatives partial blockage [f, v, s, z ] Affricates stop + fricative [tʃ, dʒ] Nasal through nasal cavity [m, n, ŋ] glides [j, w] take the shape of the vowel (also semi-vowels, approximants) Liquids lowering both sides of the tongue [l, r] 27 Manner of articulation 28
Consonants 29 Consonants 30
Consonants Can be described by using three parameters: voicing, place of articulation and manner of articulation Examples: [p] voiceless bilabial stop [n] voiced alveolar nasal [d] [ŋ] 31 What is a vowel? A sound produced without major constriction in the vocal tract No articulators touching or even coming close Since the sound is not produced by constriction, the energy comes primarily from the vocal cords Vowels are all voiced 32
Vowels Vowels can be classified by answering three questions How high is the tongue? High- mid - low What part of the tongue is involved? Front- central- back What is the position of the lips? Rounded or unrounded 33 Tongue positions Tongue height High [i, u] Mid [ε, o] Low [æ] Say seat, set, sa transcribed [i], [ε], [æ] 34
Tongue position Tongue backness Front [i], [æ] Central [ә] Back [u], [o], [a] Say he and who 35 Front vowels 36
Back vowels 37 He [hi] Front and back vowels Who [hu] 38
Preview of vocal tract shaping Say heave and have Say who and ha What do you notice going on in your mouth? 39 Classification: Tongue Height High: Heave Who Low: Have Ha 40
Lip rounding Rounded [u], [o] [u] noon [o] boat Unrounded [i] heat [I] hit 41 Vowel Chart 42
Diphthongs A combination of two sounds vowel + glide [aw] cow, loud [ɔj] boy, void, noise [aj] buy, eye, my 43 Vowels description Can be classified according to three parameters: height, backness, and lip rounding Examples: [i] high front unrounded vowel [u] high back rounded vowel 44
Phonetic Transcription The best-known system: The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) IPA has been developing since 1888. The system represents each sound of human speech with a single symbol. The symbol is enclosed in brackets [ ]. 45 Benefits of Phonetic Transcription We can use IPA transcription across languages, there is one symbol for EVERY possible human sound There is a 1-1 correspondence of sound to symbol Cat [kæt] Cell [sel] 46
Consonant chart 47 Activity: identifying diphthongs call top Fright joy top Haste Avoid Proud Hide 48
Transcription Practice Transcribe the following words Kick Boot She The Thin 49 Important terms Articulatory phonetics articulators Consonants and vowels Places of articulation Manner of articulation Voicing Parameters for describing vowels Phonetic transcription 50