Basic Phonetics

Dr.S.Sundarabalu,M.A;M.A;Ph.DAssistant Professor

Department of LinguisticsBharathiar University,Coimbatore-46

sunder_balu@yahoo.co.in

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• What is language? Speech is the representation of the

experience of the mind -Aristotle • What is linguistics?

It is the scientific study of language.• What is science?

It is the knowledge based on facts that are proven logically and systematically.

• How many vowels and consonants exist in the English language?

• Who stated the above facts?• On what grounds have they been stated?

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Language - defines the actions that occur in the world. Language is thus composed of sign, letter, sentence,

gesture, sound, light, movements, space, silence, function and the like.

Language is rightly used by those who intently observe the events of the world.

The growth of the brain should not be associated with a corresponding growth of knowledge, as knowledge can develop only when the brain is trained by constant intellectual musing .

What is required for the proper growth of the body?Food.What is required for the proper growth of the brain?Thinking.

LANGUAGE AS A SYSTEM

• Language as a system consists of two parts:

(1) expression and

(2) content (Gleason,1961- p.67).

• Expression refers to the form of the language mainly spoken, sometimes written, in the case of languages, which have developed a writing system.

• The structure of sentences, phrases, words, and morphemes referred to above which are all meaningful and phonemes or sound units of which these higher units are made of represent the expression system.

 

• The content system is concerned with the study of how these units of the expression system become 'meaningful' or relate to the various types of activities of the human beings, their surroundings, their ideas, organizations, social, cultural, political etc., or the 'world'.

• Of the different aspects of the expression system sentence structure is studied by the branch or level of linguistics called, syntax, word and morpheme structure by morphology, sound structure by the branches phonemics and phonetics together called phonology and content structure is studied by semantics.

Levels of Linguistics Analysis

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Phonetics Phonology

Sounds of language

Linguistics

Grammar

Morphology Syntax

Meaning

Semantics Pragmatics

History of Phonetics

The Prague School• Prague School is originally known as the Prague

Linguistic Circle, a group of scholars with a common approach to linguistics who were working in Prague in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

• This School was founded in 1926 by Vilém Mathesius (1882 - 1945), who was a professor of English at the Caroline University of Prague. ( Vilém Mathesius (1882-1945), founder of the Prague Linguistic Circle (PLC), was a

representative of functional linguistics.)Although most of its members were Czech linguists, two of its most influential figures were Russian: Nikolai Trubetzkoi and Roman Jakobson, who were among its founders in 1926.

• Vilém Mathesius, (born August 3, 1882, Pardubice, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary [now in Czech Republic]—died April 12, 1945, Prague, Czech.), Czech linguist and scholar of English language and literature. He was the founder (1926) and president of the Prague Linguistic Circle, famous for its influence on structural linguistics and for its phonological studies. Mathesius taught at Charles University in Prague, beginning in 1909 after he had received his degree in Germanic and Romance studies. He became its first professor of Anglistics in 1912 and was promoted to full professor in 1919.

• He also published a two-volume history of English literature (Dějiny anglické literatury; 1910–15) and several Shakespearean studies rather

• The Pragueans produced a set of principles that were pretty generally agreed upon by members of the group and have been widely accepted elsewhere.

The Pragueans produced a set of principles that were pretty generally agreed upon by members of the group and have been widely accepted elsewhere.

1.The separation of phonetics and phonemics as two subfields of phonology – Phonetics deals with the production, transmission and perception of sounds whereas phonemics studies the classes of sounds and their use in a language according to their distribution and function.

2.The idea of the phoneme (the simple units of sound that distinguish one

word from another) as the minimal functional element of language was expounded by Trubetzkoy and became a Praguean concept.

3.Each of the phonemes that appear in the lexicon of a language may be

classified in terms of a set of phonetic properties, or features.

• 4.The “minimal pairs” • 5.They also developed the notion of “functional

load”—• 6.“Binarity” was also a Prague idea, where the

phonemes are specified by plusses and minuses applied to each feature, illustrates this principle;

• 7.Markedness is a way of expressing the amount of information that is coded in a form.

Nikolai Trubetzkoy: Born 1890, Moscow / Died 1938, Vienna

Nikolai Trubetzkoy was the first to develop a model of distinctive features...   

Trubetzkoy’s contributions, basically in the field of phonology and phonetics are very important:

Trubetzkoy redefined the phoneme functionally as the smallest distinctive unit within the structure of a given language, and he further broke these phonemes into their distinctive features. To understand the phoneme, we have to know two concepts that are strictly related to the concept of the phoneme:

.Opposition: in features that could distinguish the meaning, e.g. pit and bit, + & – voice.

.Distinctiveness: features could be differentiated from each other to create a difference in meaning.

• If two features are in opposition and are distinctive, then they are phonemes. If one feature is in opposition with another and they are not distinctive, then they are not phonemes, probably allophones. Therefore, any phoneme has to be a member of phonological opposition and it has to be distinctively opposed.

• In order to determine whether the sound is a phoneme or a variation of a phoneme, Trubetzkoy gives us four practical rules:

1.Free variation:

2.Opposition:

3.Complementary distribution:

4.Non-predictability:

phonetics

phonology

phoneme

allophone

consonants

andvowels

Supra segmental

scvcv

syllables

connected‘natural’speeches

1. Phonetics 2. Organs of Speech3. The Air-stream Mechanism4. The Types of Air-stream 5. Speech Sounds6. Description and

Classification of VowelsSounds

7. Description and Classification of Consonants

• Phonetics is the study of the sounds of human speech.• Phonetics (pronounced as [fəˈnɛtɪks], from the Greek: φωνή, phōnē, 'sound, voice') is a branch of linguistics

that comprises the study of the sounds of human speech.

• It is concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds or signs (phones): their physiological production, acoustic properties, auditory perception, and neurophysiological status.

• The field of phonetics is a multiple layered subject of linguistics that focuses on speech

Why is Phonetics Important?

• It gives birth to language

• Without sounds we would be unable to create or understand words that make up languages

• It’s the precursor to phonemic awareness (which helps us to decode words and develop reading fluency)

•Phonetics also deals with the physical properties of sounds (Acoustic Phonetics)

Symbols + Sounds = Phonetics

+ = Phonetics

Phonetics: study of speech sounds; how we pronounce individual letters or the sound associated with a combination of letters

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Sentence Structure

acoustic

Phonetics Pragmatics

Language Usages

Syntax

Sounds

Knowledge of language & Linguistics

SemanticsMorphology

Words

Phonology

auditory

Articulatory

Sound systems Rules for Combining Sound

Word formation Internal

Structure meaning of words

Whole Words

meaning

Rules for Grammar

How Context

& Situation

Affect meaning

How we say

Sounds

How we perceive

or Hears sounds

Main branches of phonetics1. Articulatory phonetics 2. Acousitc phonetics3.Auditory Phonetics

• 1. Articulatory phonetics• Study of the vocal organs and how

they produce speech sounds • 2. Acoustic phonetics• A study of the physical properties of

speech sounds as sound waves.• 3.Auditory Phonetics• Study of how speech sounds in the

form of sound waves are perceived and processed by ears , nervous system, and brain.

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1. Articulatory phonetics

04/10/2023

2. Acoustic phonetics

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3. Auditory phonetics

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The Names of the Organs of Speech

Lungs

Trachea

Vocal Cords (within the Larynx)

Pharynx

Nasal Cavity

Vocal cords (without overlaying muscles and tissue).

front

back

Coronal slice through the larynx; rear portion removed, leaving front portion. (Viewed from behind.)

Anatomy of Vocal Organs

Speech mechanism

Fig. 1. Five stages and three levels in chain of speechtransmission from brain of Speaker to brain of Listener. (From Fig. 1.1 of Denes and Pinson 2000:5)

2speaker transforms messageinto speech sounds

4.Listener receivesmessage throughperceiving sound waves

5.Message is processed and interpreted in Listener’sbrain

3.Speech soundsare transmittedas sound wavesthrough air

1.Message begins as idea inSpeaker’s brain

• Five Stage of speech Communication• 1. Conception: Spear’s brain conceives the idea

to be expressed verbally • 2. Production: Speaker uses his/ her vocal

apparatus (vocal organs, muscles, articulators)to transform the idea into the corresponding words as represented by speech sounds of his/ her language.

• 3.Transmission: Speech sounds travel through the air .

• 4.Reception: Listener’s ears hear the speech sounds.

• 5.Interpretation: Listener’s brain processes and interprets the incoming speech sounds as the speaker’s verbal message

• Three Levels of Speaking • 1. Linguistic Level

Speech begins in the brain when the speaker thinks of something that s/he wants to say

2. Physiological Level: Nerve impulses from speaker’s brain active vocal muscles that control vocal cords , tongue, jaw, etc.. To produce speech sounds that represent the speaker’s verbal message.

3. Acoustic level: Speech sounds travel through the air as sound waves

• Consonants – Manners of Articulation• Lateral• Trill• Tap• Nasal • Approximant • Affricate• Fricative• Stop

Places of Articulation

Place of Articulation

Manner o

f Articu

latio

ns

• 3. Organs of Speech

• Groups of Organs of Speech• Respiratory system• Phonatory system• Articularosy system 

1. The Respiratory System consists of the following organs: A. The lungs B. The muscles of chest. C. The wind-pipe ('trachea').

 2. The phonatory system: is formed by the larynx. It is

generally called 'voice-box' It is box like space at the top of the wind-pipe, containing the vocal cords which produce the voice.

 3. The Articulatory System: Its consists of the following organs:   A. The nose

B. The mouth. The mouth includes the following:

A. The tongue B. The teeth C. The roof of the mouth D. the lips.

 

The schematic diagram given below depicts the organs of speech:

(1) the Larynx ".

When we produce speech sound with the vocal cords drawn separately, such sounds are called breathed or voiceless sounds.

 In other words, voiceless sounds are produced when the

vocal cords do not vibrate. For example, as in

pin - p tin - t

kin - kchin- tʃ fin - fthin - θsin - s

shin- ʃ him - h

If the vocal cords are held loosely together, the pressure of the air coming from the lungs makes them vibrate, that is, they open and close regularly many times a second. This vibration of the vocal cords produces a musical note called voice, and sounds produced in this way are called voiced sounds. In other words, voiced sound are produced when the vocal cords vibrate. For example all vowel sounds and the consonants () as in the English words

bin, din,

gun, join, vain,them, .zoo, pleasure, mine,near sing, love, red, yellow and win.

 The number of times the vocal cords open and close in one second is known as the frequency of vibration, and this decide the pitch of the voice.

(2) The Pharynx: The pharynx or pharyngal cavity is the voice box. This acts as a vibrating cavity for the sounds produced by the vibration of the vocal cords. The partial or complete stoppage of the air-stream can be achieved by modifying the shape of this cavity that makes the soft-palate or the tongue act.

 In the head we have the organs of articulation

and two cavities. : (i) the oral cavity, and (ii) the nasal cavity. The oral cavity is the

mouth and the nasal cavity is the nose.  The shape of the mouth cavity depends on the positions

of the tongue and the lips. The roof of the mouth can be divided into the following three parts;

1.the alveolar ridge or teeth ridge having hard convex surface just behind the upper teeth; ALVEOLAR RIDGE

A short distance behind the upper teeth is a change in the angle of the roof of the mouth. This is the alveolar ridge. Sounds which involve the area between the upper teeth and this ridge are called alveolars.

2.the hard palate, (the hard concave surface); (HARD) PALATE

The hard portion of the roof of the mouth. The term "palate" by itself usually refers to the hard palate.

3.the soft-palate or the velum at the back, with the uvula at its end SOFT PALATE/VELUM The soft portion of the roof of the mouth, lying behind the hard palate. The tongue hits the velum in the sounds [k], [g], and [N]. The velum can also move: if it lowers, it creates an opening that allows air to flow out through the nose; if it stays raised, the opening is blocked, and no air can flow through the nose.4. UVULA

The small, dangly thing at the back of the soft palate. The uvula vibrates during the r sound in many French dialects. 5. PHARYNX

The cavity between the root of the tongue and the walls of the upper throat.

(3) The Tongue; The tongue is a very important organ of speech. It can take up a very large number of different positions for the articulation of different vowel and consonant sounds. The tongue has five parts which are as follows:

 A. the tip B, the blade C. the front D. the back E. the root.

 The extreme edge of the tongue is called the tip. Immediately after the tip is

the blade and it is the part of the tongue that lies opposite the teeth-ridge when the speech organs are at rest. Beyond the blade is the front of the tongue which lies opposite the hard palate when the speech-organs are at rest.

• 6. TONGUE BLADE The flat surface of the tongue just behind the tip.

• 7. TONGUE BODY/DORSUM The main part of the tongue, lying below the hard and soft palate. The body, specifically

the back part of the body, moves to make vowels and many consonants. • 8. TONGUE ROOT

The lowest part of the tongue in the throat.

• (4) The Lips: The lips play their part in the articulation of certain consonants.

For example, the initial sound in the English words, pill, bil1 and mill are produced with the lips tightly close. Also, the lips play an important part during the articulation of vowel sounds.

The lips assume different positions-spread, neutral, or rounded-for different vowel sounds. For example, the vowel in the English word see is produced with spread lips, that in the word sat is produced with neutral lips and that in the word shop is produced with rounded lips.

10. VOCAL FOLDS/VOCAL CORDS Folds of tissue stretched across the airway to

the lungs. They can vibrate against each other, providing much of the sound during speech.11. GLOTTIS

The opening between the vocal cords. During a glottal stop, the vocal cords are held together and there is no opening between them.9. EPIGLOTTISThe fold of tissue below the root of the tongue. The epiglottis helps cover the larynx during swallowing, making sure (usually!) that food goes into the stomach and not the lungs. A few languages use the epiglottis in making sounds. English is fortunately not one of them.

12. LARYNX The structure that holds and manipulates the

vocal cords.

VOCAL FOLDS PRODUCING A SOUND AT TWO DIFFERENT PITCHES

• There are some sounds during the articulation of which the air escapes simultaneously through the nose and the mouth. That is, the velum is lowered, thereby opening the nasal passage, and the oral passage is so open. Such sounds are called nasalized sounds. Many Indian languages have such sounds. For example. the vowel in the Hindi word [a~ : kh] is a nasalized vowel.

• Nasalization is marked in phonetic transcription by adding the tilde [~] above the vowel symbol.

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Diagram of theVocal Tract

Descriptions for Different Organs of Speech

(4)The Air-stream Mechanism

a)Pulmonic

b) Glottic

c) Velaric

We breathe in and breathe out air. When we breathe in air, no sound is produced but it is not so in the case of breathe outing air form the lungs. Sound is produced when air is puff out form the lungs.

 Technically speaking, for the production of speech we

need air stream mechanism. There are three types of air-stream mechanism. They are as follows :

 A. Pulmonic B. Glottalic C. Veleric  

A. Pulmonic air-stream mechanism is one which consists of the lungs and the respiratory muscles, which set the sir-stream in motion.

•  Pulmonic Sounds• Air flow is directed outwards towards

the oral cavity• Pressure built by compression of lungs• English [p], [n], [s], [l], [e]

•Glottic Egressive Sounds•Air flow is directed outwards towards the oral Cavity• Pressure built by pushing up closed glottis [p’], [t’], [k’]

B. Glottalic air-stream mechanism is one in which the larynx, with the glottis firmly closed, is moved up or down to initiate the air-stream.

Velaric Sounds•Air flow is directed inwards from the oral cavity•Pressure reduced by forming velaric and alveolar closure and pulling down tongue

C. Veleric air-stream mechanism is one in which the back of the tongue in firm contract with the soft palate also called the velum, is pushed forward or pulled back to initiate the air-stream.  

• (5) The Types of Air-stream

We have just seen that the air-stream mechanism is of three types. Let us note that the air-stream is of the following two types :

 Air-streams

Egressive Ingressive

1. The Egressive air-stream is one in which the air is pushed out (It must be remembered that for the sounds of English and most of the Indian languages, we generally make use of an egressive pulmonic air-stream, that is, the air is pushed out of the lungs).

 2. The ingressive an-streams is one in which

the air is pulled out (It is interesting to note that Sindhi language has some sounds produced with an ingressive glottalic air-stream.)

  

• (6) Speech Sounds

Speech sounds are those sounds which are produced by the human being using the organs of speech; Speech sounds are very broadly divided into two categories which are shown in the following diagram:

Types of Speech Sounds

Vowels Consonants

1. Vowel Sounds: The vowel sounds are those sounds during the production of which the air escapes through the mouth freely and we do not hear any friction. In other words vowel-sounds are made without audiable stopping of the breath by the tongue, lips, etc.,

For instance, /i/, /e/, /u/, are vowel-sounds.  2. Consonant Sounds: Consonant Sounds are those

speech sounds during the production of which, the air escapes through the mouth with friction. In other words, consonant sounds are produced by completely or partially obstructing the air being breathed out through the mouth. For example, /b/, /f/, /t/, etc. are consonant sounds.

 

3. Speech Sounds in English :

In English we have 44 sounds Of these 22 sounds, 24 are consonant sounds and 20 are vowel sounds. Of the 20 vowel sounds, 12 are pure vowels (monothongs) and 8 are called dipthongs (glides). Out of the 12 pure vowels, 5 are long vowels and 7 are short vowels. Of the 8 dipthongs, 3 are centring dipthongs and 5 are closing dipthongs.

 

There are 6 types of consonant sounds in English The)' include

6 plosives, 2 affricates, 9 fricatives, 3 nasals, 1 lateral, and 3 approximants (semi-vowels).

  (24 are consonant sounds) The vowel and consonant sounds in English

are shown in the following diagram:  

• Speech sounds in English

44 Sounds

20 vowel Sounds 24 Consonants

6 plosive 2 Affricates12 Monothongs 8 Dipthongs 9 Fricatives

3 Nasals1 Lateral

3 Centring5 Closing 3 Approximants

7Long vowel 5 Short vowel