1. Phonetics vs.

Phonology
Introduction to English Linguistics

Phonetics:

description of all possible

speech sounds, independent
of a specific language

Week 3: Phonetics

questions in phonetics are e.g.:

What speech sounds can humans produce?
What are the physical properties of speech sounds?
How do humans perceive speech sounds?

Thomas Hoffmann

Wed 12-14

1. Phonetics vs. Phonology

1. Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonology: description of the speech

sounds of a specific language
(i.e. the function of sounds in
system of e.g. English)
questions in phonology are e.g.
Which combinations of sounds does English allow?
(syntagmatic relationship:
cf. E psychology vs. G Psychologie)
Does using a different sound yield a different word?
(paradigmatic relationship:
E free-three vs. G frei-*threi)

Remember Saussure? He also distinguished:

langue

= abstract linguistic system

shared by all speakers of
a speech community
(paradi- & syntagmatic fn!)
phonology:
part of langue

2. Kinds of phonetics

parole
= all utterances of
the speakers in
a speech community
phonetics:
part of parole

Articulatory phonetics:

3 approaches
corresponding to
communication model of speech:

Sender
(speaker)

Channel
(air waves)

Receiver
(listener)

articulatory
phonetics

acoustic
phonetics

auditory
phonetics

DOH!

Sender (speaker):
production of sounds

Acoustic phonetics:

Auditory phonetics:

DOH!
DOH!

Receiver (hearer):
perception of sounds

Channel (air waves)

2. Kinds of phonetics

2.1 Acoustic phonetics

Focus at UOS:
articulatory phonetics

The sounds which we utter travel as sound waves

at a specific frequency (measured in hertz hz)
with varying degrees of loudness (amplitude of waves;
measured in decibels db)

helps you to:

improve your own English
better understand native speakers
teach English pronunciation

Fig. 1: Sine wave with 1 cycle in 1/100 sec (=100 Hz)

(Malmkjaer 1991: 1)

2.1 Acoustic phonetics

sound waves can be measured and
represented mechanically using so-called
spectographs ( spectogram)
take e.g.

Fig. 2: Spectograph of DOH!s (created with PRAAT)

2.2 Auditory phonetics

2.2 Auditory phonetics

= from ear canal to a mental representation

e.g. McGurk-Effect:
subjects hear e.g.
o-sound (headphone)
& see someone producing
an i-sound (tv screen)
subjects sure they heard i-sound!
Fig. 3: The human ear
(source: <www.cami.jccbi.gov/AAM-400A/Brochures/Graphics/Ear_big.jpg>)

2.3 Articulatory phonetics

1. how to describe sounds
2. prerequisites: human anatomy

2.3.1 The IPA alphabet

Orthography no use for phonetics:
same sound different spelling:
to too two through threw clue shoe
different sound same spelling:
dame dad father call village many

2.3.1 The IPA alphabet

1888: International Phonetics Association IPA
starts developing
a phonetic alphabet
every sign
corresponds to exactly
one sound
(Revised Version since 1989)
[cf. below]

2.3.1 Anatomy
In order to understand IPA symbols:
we must look at the human anatomy
to see
what tools we have
&
how we use them
Fig. 5: Possible places of articulation
(source:<www.unc.ed/~tofu/ling30/midsagittal.jpg>)

voiceless sounds:

voiced sounds:

Fig. 6: What the vocal folds really look like

Fig. 7: Schematic representation of the 3 states of the

glottis (Davis 1998: 12)

oral sounds:

raised velum

nasal sounds:

lowered velum

Fig. 8: Setting of velum (Giegerich 1992: 6)

2.3.2 Vowels vs. Consonants

manner of
articulation

acoustic shape

vowels

[+voice]
[-obstruction]

harmonic sounds

consonants

[+/-voice]
[+obstruction]

noise

nasals &
approximants

[+voice]
[+obstruction]

harmonic sounds

2.3.2 Vowels vs. Consonants

2.3.3 Consonants

As we will see the fact that :

Definition of consonants by 4 properties:

vowels are [-obstruction]

consonants (here including nasals & approximants) are
[+obstruction]
note: all languages use V & Cs [absolute universal]

makes it necessary to describe

Vs and Cs
differently!

2.3.3.1 Places of Articulation

place
manner
voicing
fortis-lenis

2.3.3.1 Places of Articulation

Fig. 9: Bilabial (Giegerich 1992: 9)

Fig. 10: Labiodental (Giegerich 1992: 9)

Fig. 5: Revisited

Fig. 11: Dental (Giegerich 1992: 10)

Fig. 12: Alveolar (Giegerich 1992: 10)

Fig. 12: Palato-alveolar

(Giegerich 1992: 11)

Fig. 13: Palatal

(Giegerich 1992: 10)

2.3.3.2 Manner of articulation

also possible place:
glottal articulation!
hello

closure (plosives / stops: *p+, *b+, *d+, *k+ )

friction (fricatives: [f], [s], [], [+ )
affricates [t], []
nasals (velum lowered air via nose [m], [n], [])
semi-vowels ([], []: articulation = V / distribution = C)
liquids: lateral [l] / rolls (approximant [], retroflex [])
[trill [r+ (alveolar trill) & tap *])]

Fig. 11: Velar (Giegerich 1992: 12)

2.3.3.3 Voicing

2.3.3.4 Fortis vs. Lenis

vocal folds: open or vibrate? (cf. Fig. 7 above?)

e.g. pit-bit, seal-zeal, three-the
[+voiced] vs. [-voiced]

strong muscle tension in mouth/throat + strong

breath force [fortis]
weak muscle tension in mouth/throat + weak breath
force [lenis]

E: all voiced Cs = lenis

& voiceless Cs = fortis
(redundant; but: whisper test)

Fig. 13: English consonants place&manner of articulation

(adapted from <www.arts.gla.ac.uk/ipa/pulmonic.html>)
Fig 12: E consonants & their places of articulation
(Davis 1998: 29)

2.3.4 Vowels

no clear obstruction in the oral cavity

vowel description requires different features

2.3.4.1 Vowel features: length

short V vs. long V (incl. diphthong)
cf. bit-beat/bait; full-fool/fail

2.3.4 Vowels
1. quantity (length: short vs. long V)
2. quality: part of tongue & height of tongue
3. distinction
monophthong (simple vowel) vs.
diphthong (glide from one V position to another)
4. lip rounding

2.3.4.2 Vowel features: quality

How can we describe the quality of a V?
absolute system of reference:
cardinal vowels (Daniel Jones)

Fig. 14: Cardinal vowels (Davis 1991: 38)

Fig. 15: Tongue position & vowel trapezium

(Davis 1991: 35)

2.3.4.2 Vowel features: quality

Fig. 16: Part of tongue & height reference features

(Davis 1991: 36)

Fig. 17: English vowels quality & quantity

(adapted from Davis 1991: 39)

2.3.4.3 Vowel features: diphthongs

Note:

sometimes pairs of V distinguished as

tense (more extreme/more muscular tension)
lax (less extreme/less muscular tension)

2.3.4.4 Vowel features: lip rounding

Fig. 18: English diphthongs (Davis 1991: 43)

2.3.4.4 Vowel features: lip rounding

Note: in E no two Vs which have
same quantity
& same quality
& differ only w.r.t. lip rounding
lip rounding-feature: not distinctive in E
[i.e. redundant]
(but: cf. German liegen vs. lgen)

Fig. 19: E rounded vowels (adapted Davis 1991: 43)

2.5 Broad vs. narrow phonetic transcription

2.5 Diacritics for narrower transcriptions

Note: 2 approaches to phonetic transcription

1. broad:

only more noticeable phonetic features

e.g. little []
broadest transcription = phonemic
[only distinctive sounds of language]

2. narrow: as detailed as possible

e.g. little []
Fig. 20: Diacritics for narrow and broad transcription
<www.arts.gla.ac.uk/ipa>

2.5 Diacritics for narrower transcriptions

References
Cruttenden, Alan. 2001. Gimsons Pronunciation of English. London: Arnold.
Davis, John F. 1998. Phonetics and Phonology. Stuttgart: Klett.
Fromkin, Viktoria & Robert Rodman. 61998. An Introduction to Language.
Forth Worth: Harcourt, Brace & Jovanovich.
Giegerich, Hans J. 1992. English Phonology: An Introduction. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Malmkjaer, Kirsten, ed. 1991. The Linguistics Encyclopedia. London:
Routledge.

CD-Rom (with audio samples & graphics):

Handke, Jrgen. 2001. The Mouton Interactive Introduction to Phonetics and
Phonology. CD-ROM. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

Fig. 21: Diacritics for suprasegmentals

<www.arts.gla.ac.uk/ipa>