Definitions

1
Definitions

• Phonetics - the study of the symbols that
  represent meaningful speech sounds.
• The sounds in all the languages of the world
  together constitute a limited set, although some
  sounds in one language are not in another.

2
More Definitions

• Articulatory phonetics - the study of how the
  vocal tract produces the sounds of language
• Acoustic phonetics - the study of the physical
  properties of the sounds
• Clinical phonetics - deals with phonetics as it
  deals with disorders.
• Auditory phonetics - the study of the way
  listeners perceive sounds

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Speech involves 2 processes

• (1) production of the speech sounds (described in
  terms of articulatory and acoustic phonetics)
  (2) perception of the speech sounds (described in
  terms of auditory phonetics)

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Phonetic Principle

• Phonetic Principle - each distinct sound of a
  language is represented by one and only one
  graphic symbol.
• LETTERS do NOT make sound!
• Symbols are used to represent the sounds that we
  make
• Orthography Letters
• we study phonetics because writing doesnt follow
  the Phonetics Principle

5
Orthography vs Phonetic Alphabet

• Discrepancy between spelling and sounds gave rise
  to a movement of spelling reformers
• wanted to revise the alphabet so that one letter
  would correspond to one sound, and one sound to
  one letter
• this alphabet would be a phonetic alphabet

6
Orthography vs Phonetic Alphabet

• Problems with orthography
• a. Different letters represent a single sound
  (many letters1 sound)
• to too two through threw clue shoe
• o, oo, wo, ough, ew, ue, oe /u/
• b. A single letter represents different sounds
  (l letter many sounds)
• dame dad father call village many
• a /e, æ, a, ?, I, ?/

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Orthography vs Phonetic Alphabet

• A combination of letters represent a single sound
  (several letters 1 sound)
• shoot character Thomas physics coat plain
• oo /u/ ch /k/ th /t/ ph /f/ oa
  /o/ ai /e/
• some sounds are not represented by a letter (1
  letter 2 sounds)
• cute futile utility
• u /ju/
• one letter represents two sounds
• xerox x /ks/
• one letter represents no sound (silent letter)
• cute (e is silent)
• In English, there are a lot of silent letters. EX
  psycho (6 letters, 4 sounds)

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International Phonetic Alphabet

• To describe the sounds of English, or any other
  language, we cannot depend on the spelling of
  words
• this led to the development of the International
  Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) in 1888 which could be
  used to symbolize the sounds found in all
  languages
• because many languages use a Roman alphabet like
  that used in the English writing system, the IPA
  phonetic symbols are based on the Roman letters

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IPA (cont)

• These phonetic symbols have a consistent value,
  unlike ordinary letters, which may or may not
  represent the same sounds in the same or
  different languages
• the IPA phonetic alphabet is still the primary
  one used all over the world today by
  phoneticians, language teachers, speech
  pathologists, linguists, and anyone wishing to
  symbolize the spoken word.
• It is impossible to construct any set of symbols
  that will specify all the minute differences
  between sounds
• no two utterances are ever physically the same

10
Phonetic Alphabet

• Phonetic alphabet - a set of symbols which can be
  used to differentiate all the phonetic sound
  segments in a one symbol to one sound fashion
• a phonetic alphabet should include enough symbols
  to represent the crucial differences

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Phonetic Transcription

• phonetic transcription - representation of spoken
  language through the use of phonetic symbols
• broad transcription - basics of what is spoken
  without any notation for finer distinction
• narrow transcription - finer description of
  speech using diacritics to specify such
  properties as nasalization, length, stress,
  rounding, etc.

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Phonetic Transcription

• Phonetic transcription is enclosed in
• phonetic realization (pronunciation)
• Phonemic transcriptions are enclosed in / /
• phonemic segments (ideal)
• Although when we speak or listen to someone
  speak, we hear speech as continuous (like music)
• but everyone who analyzes language recognizes
  that speech utterances can be segmented into
  individual sounds
• cat has 3 sounds k æ t