The Phonology of English

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The Phonology of English

• Voicing
• Place of Articulation
• Mode of Articulation
• Vowels

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Voicing What it is

• The slight buzz or resonance which distinguishes
  some speech sounds, as b from p and
• v from f.
• It is produced by the vibration of the vocal
  chords in the larynx which sets the air in motion
  as it passes the point of articulation (lips or
  teeth or. . .)
• Mercifully, babies figure out how to do it, so we
  dont have to explain it to anybody, usually.

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Voicing What does it affect?

• All vowels are voiced
• Some consonants are voiced
• (b, v, d, z, j, g, , ?)
• A matching set of consonants is unvoiced
• (p, f, t, s, c, k, , ð)
• The resonant consonants are voiced
• (m, n, ?, l, r, y, w)

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Points of Articulation

• Lips (labials) b p, m, w
• Lips teeth (labial dentals) v f
• Dentals ? and ð (the th in thigh and
  thy)
• Alveolars d t, s z, n, l, r
• Alveo-palatals c, j, , , and j (consonant y)
• Velars g k, h, ?, (w)

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Mode of Articulation

• Stop air is totally blocked and then released
• (p,b,t, d,k, hard g)
• Fricative air is constricted but not fully
  blocked (f,v,th,s,z,,,h)
• Affricatives stop, followed by fricative
  release(c, j)
• Nasals air released through the nasal passages
  (m, n, ?)
• Lateral, Retroflex, and Semivowels (l,r,w,y)

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Mode of Articulation

• Lateral tongue contacting the alveolar ridge,
  air escaping along the sides (l)
• Retroflex tip of the tongue curled upward
  pointing toward the alveolar ridge or hard palate
  (r)
• Semivowels narrow air passage but no friction or
  stoppage (consonant y and w)

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Vowels

• Designated by tongue position
• Back, center, front
• High, middle, low
• Tense or lax

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Vowels (by position)

• Back vowels
• a as in hot
• as in caught
• o as in coat
• U as in put
• u as in hoot

c
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Vowels (by position, cont.)

• Central vowels
• y (not used in Mod E)
• ? or as in the final sound of sofa

e
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Vowels (by position, continued)

• Front vowels
• æ as in at
• ? as in met
• e as in eight
• I as in it
• i as in eat

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Vowels (by height of tongue)

• High i, y, u
• Mid I, U, e, o (as in oats)
• Low ?, ?, o (as in ox), æ, a

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Vowels (dipthongs)

• ai as in ice
• au as in ouch
• oi as in oil

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