Transcription of Speech Sounds

1
Transcription of Speech Sounds

• Methods of writing down speech sounds in a
  systematic and consistent way

2
Phonemic vs. Phonetic transcription

• Phonemic transcription
• Only the units which account for differences of
  meaning are represented
• Usually broad transcription
• Use / / (eg /pEn/)
• Phonetic transcription
• Sounds are symbolized on the basis of their
  articulatory/auditory identity regardless of
  their function in a language
• Both broad narrow transcriptions are possible
• Use (eg pEn, pHE)n )

3
Broad vs. Narrow transcription

• Broad transcription
• Less detailed
• The broadest transcription
• ? phonemic transcription
• eg) /pEn/ pEn
• Narrow transcription
• Relatively detailed
• eg) pHE)n

4
Various transcription conventions

• IPA transcription
• American Conventions
• Machine Readable Conventions

5
IPA transcription

• Approved and provided by International Phonetic
  Association
• Aiming to invent symbols which can describe
  speech sounds of all languages
• Used mainly in UK and Europe
• Full IPA chart here

6
American Conventions

• Many versions
• Fries(1945) system
• Kenyon(1958) system
• Prator Robinett (1985) system
• In Generative Phonology based on Ame. English
• Fries system is frequently used for consonants
  monophthongs
• but Prator Robinett system for diphthongs

7
IPA vs. American convention
8
Machine Readable Transcription

• Using only keyboard friendly fonts (ASCII
  Characters)
• Frequently used for speech technology
• Major versions
• SAMPA by University College London
• TIMITBET by Texas Instruments MIT
• ARPABET
• WorldBET by Hieronymus (1993)
• OGI_BET by Oregon Graduate Institute

9
Transcription Exercise

• Give a broad and narrow transcription of the
  sentence given
• Deep in the hundred acre wood where Christopher
  robin plays you will find the enchanted
  neighborhood.

10
Homework

• Transcribe the sentence below as narrowly as
  possible
• Due until Wednesday, 17 Sept 2003
• Submit by email or in writing
• Title of the email should be phonetics
  transcription homework

• Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting
  by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing
  to do once or twice she had peeped into the book
  her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or
  conversations in it, and what is the use of a
  book,' thought Alice without pictures or
  conversation?' So she was considering in her own
  mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made
  her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the
  pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth
  the trouble of getting up and picking the
  daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink
  eyes ran close by her.