Phonetics

2. Overview
 What is Phonetics and Phonology ?
 Phonetics vs. Phonology
 Branches of Phonetics
 Voiced and voiceless
 Place of articulation
 Manner of articulation

3. Phonetics
 Phonetics is about the physical production
and perception of sounds of speech
 It is the study of physical aspects of speech.
It studies all possible speech sounds
 Phonetics is all about studying the sounds
we make when we talk

4. Phonology
 Phonology deals with the system and pattern
of speech sounds in a language.
 It describes the way sounds function – within
a given language or across languages.
 Phonology is the study of how sounds are
organized and used in natural languages.

5. Phonology vs. Phonetics
 Analyzes the sound
pattern of a particular
language by
determining which
phonetic sounds are
significant and
explaining how these
sound are interpreted
by the native speaker
 Analyzes the
production of all human
speech sounds,
regardless of language.

6. Phonology vs. Phonetics
 Phonology is the study of
how sounds are
organized and used in
natural languages.
 The phonological system
of a language includes an
inventory of sounds and
their features, and
pragmatic rules which
specify how sounds
interact with each other.
 Phonetics is the study
of human speech
sounds.
 Phonetics studies
which sounds are
present in a
language.

7. Phonology vs. Phonetics
 Phonology studies
how these sounds
combine and how they
change in combination,
as well as which sound
can contrast to produce
difference in meaning
 Phonetics simply
describes the
articulatory and
acoustic properties of
speech sounds

8. Branches of Phonetics
 Acoustic Phonetics
This is the study of the sound waves made by the
human vocal organs for communication and how the
sounds are transmitted. The sound travels through
from the speaker's mouth through the air to the
hearer's ear, through the form of vibrations in the air.
Acoustic phonetics also looks at how articulatory and
auditory phonetics link to the acoustic properties.

9.  Auditory Phonetics
This is how we perceive and hear sounds and how the
ear, brain and auditory nerve perceives the sounds. This
branch deals with the physiological processes involved
in the reception of speech
 Articulatory Phonetics
Articulatory phonetics is interested in the movement of
various parts of the vocal tract during speech. The vocal
tract is the passages above the larynx where air passes
in the production of speech

10. Articulation
 Voiceless: When the vocal folds are spread apart,
the air from the lungs passes between them without
obstruction. Sounds produced in this way are
described as voiceless. Sounds such as S-S-S-S
or F-F-F-F are voiceless.
 Voiced: When the vocal folds are drawn together,
the air from the lungs repeatedly pushes them apart
as it passes through, creating a vibration effect.
Sounds produced in this way are described as
voiced. Sounds such as Z-Z-Z-Z or V-V-V-V.

11. Place of Articulation
 The point where a
sound is produced is
referred to as its place
of articulation.
Symbols are enclosed
with square brackets [ ]

12. Bilabials
 These are sounds
formed using both
upper and lower lips.
The initial sounds in the
words pat, bat, way
and mat are all
bilabials. They are
represented by the
symbols [p] [b] [m]
and [w].

13. Labiodentals
 These are sounds formed
with the upper teeth and the
lower lip. The initial sounds
of the words fat and vat and
the final sounds of safe and
save are labiodentals.
Symbols are [f] [v]. The final
sound in the word cough,
and the initial sound in
photo, despite the spelling
differences, are both
pronounced as [f].

14. Dentals
 These sounds are
formed with the tongue
tip behind the upper
front teeth. The initial
sound of thin and the
final sound of bath are
both dentals. The
symbol used for these
sounds are [θ], [ð], e.g
the, there, then &thus

15. Alveolars
 These are sounds formed
with the front part of the
tongue on the alveolar
ridge, which is the rough,
bony ridge immediately
behind and above the
upper teeth. The initial
sounds in top, dip, sit,
zoo, nut, lap, lit, and
right are all alveolars.
The symbols are– [t], [d],
[s], [z], [n] [l] [r]

16. Palatals
 Sounds produced with
the tongue and the
palate are called
palatals. The initial
sounds in the words
shout and child. [ʃ] [ʧ].
So, the word shoe-
brush begins and ends
with the palatal sound
[ʃ] and the word
church begins and
ends with the palatal
sound [ʧ].

17. Velars
 Sounds produced with the
back of the tongue against
the velum are called velars.
Represented by the symbol
[k], [g] and [ŋ] kid, kill go,
gun, give, sing and ringing
also the initial sound in car
and cold. Despite the variety
in spelling, this [k] sound is
both then initial and final
sound in the words cook,
kick and coke.

18. Glottals
 There is one sound that is
produced without the active
use of the tongue and other
parts of the mouth. It is the
sound [h] which occurs at
the beginning of have and
house. When the glottis is
open and there is no
manipulation of the air
passing out of the mouth,
the sound produced is that
represented by [h].

19. Manner of Articulation
 Manner of articulation describes how the
tongue, lips, jaw, and other speech organs
are involved in making a sound. For
example, [t] and [s] are both voiceless
alveolar sounds. They differ in their manner
of articulation, that is, in the way they are
pronounced. The [t] sound is one of a set of
sounds called stops and the [s] sound is one
of a set called fricatives.

20. Stops
 This type of consonant sound, resulting from
a blocking or stopping effect on the air
stream, is called a stop. They are produced
by some form of “stopping” of the air stream
then letting it go abruptly. The set of stops:
[p], [b], [t], [d], [k], [ɡ]

21. Fricatives
 The manner of articulation used in producing the set
of sounds [f], [v], [θ], [ð], [s], [z], [ʃ], [ʒ] involves
almost blocking the air stream and having the air
push through the very narrow opening. As the air is
pushed through, a type of friction is produced and
the resulting sounds are called fricatives. If you put
your open hand in front of your mouth when making
these sounds, [f] and [s] in particular, you should be
able to feel the stream of air being pushed out.

22. Affricates
 If you combine a brief stopping of the air
stream with an obstructed release which
causes some friction, these are called
affricates. Occur at the beginning of the
words cheap and jeep. This is the set of
affricates sounds : [ʧ] and [ʤ].

23. Nasals
 When the velum is lowered and the air
stream is allowed to flow out through the
nose to produce the sounds are described as
nasals. The words morning, knitting and
name begin and end with nasals. Set of
nasals sounds [m], [n] and [ŋ]

24. Approximants
 They are produced with the tongue moving
or gliding, to or from the position of a nearby
vowel. [w] [y] [l] [r] e.g we, wet, you, yes, led
and red