AN INTRODUCTION TO

PHONETICS & PHONOLOGY

Week 1
June 2011
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Phonetics - Field of study that has to do with
the production, transmission and reception of
sounds in any language


Phonology is about patterns of sounds,
especially different patterns of sounds in
different languages, or within each language,
different patterns of sounds in different
positions in words etc.
The study of the combination and occurrence
of sounds in a specific language.

Production of Speech Sounds
1. Air Stream Mechanism - In phonetics, the
airstream mechanism is the method by which
airflow is created in the vocal tract. Along with
phonation, it is one of two mandatory aspects
of sound production; without these, there can
be no speech sound.
The organ generating the airstream is called
the initiatior; for this reason the production of
airflow is called initiation. There are three
initiators used in spoken human languages:

the diaphragm together with the ribs and
lungs (pulmonic mechanisms),
the glottis (glottalic mechanisms), and
the tongue (lingual or "velaric" mechanisms).
LOCATION ORGANS TYPE OF
ORGANS
AIR-STREAM
TYPES
Head Mouth & Nose Articulatory Initiator Velic
(Velum)
Neck Larynx Phonetory Glottalic
(Glottis)
Chest Lungs Respiratory Pulmonic
(Lungs)
Overview of Speech Generation


Speech is achieved by compression of the lung volume causing
air flow which may be made audible if set into vibration by the
activity of the larynx. This sound can then be made into speech
by various modifications of the supralaryngeal vocal tract.

1. Lungs provide the energy source Respiration
2. Vocal folds convert the energy into audible sound Phonation
3. Articulators transform the sound into intelligible speech
- Articulation

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An Overview of the Vocal Tract

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Lung Structure and Function

Expanding the thoracic cavity by expanding the
rib cage (raising the ribs) and by lowering the
diaphragm increases lung volume, decreases air
pressure in the lungs and so air is drawn in from
the from the outside to equalise pressure.
Contracting the thoracic cavity by contracting the
rib cage (lowering the ribs) and by raising the
diaphragm decreases lung volume, increases air
pressure in the lungs and so air is expelled from
the lungs to equalise pressure with the outside
air.
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Flow Chart
of
Lung Function
Breathing In and Breathing Out
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RozitaRashid,UPI JB, IPGKPs
A Simplified Diagram of the Vocal Tract
A simplified diagram of the vocal tract showing the energy generation function of the lungs.
Above the vocal folds are the various cavities that can be modified in size and shape to
cause changes in the sound quality of the speech sounds.
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Larynx Structure and Function
The larynx is a continuation of the trachea but
the cartilage structures of the larynx are highly
specialised. The main cartilages are the
thyroid, cricoid and arytenoid cartilages.
These cartilages variously rotate and tilt to
affect changes in the vocal folds. The vocal
folds (also known as the vocal cords) stretch
across the larynx and when closed they
separate the pharynx from the trachea.
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When the vocal folds are open breathing is
permitted. The opening between the vocal folds
is known as the glottis. When air pressure below
closed vocal folds (sub-glottal pressure) is high
enough the vocal folds are forced open, the vocal
folds then spring back closed under both elastic
and aerodynamic forces, pressure builds up
again, the vocal folds open again, ... and so on for
as along as the vocal folds remain closed and a
sufficient sub-glottal pressure can be maintained.
This continuous periodic process is known as
phonation and produces a "voiced" sound source.

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Different laryngeal adjustments affect the way
that the vocal folds vibrate and can result in
different voice qualities, some of which are
important linguistically in some languages.
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Articulation
When sound is produced at the larynx, that
sound can be modified by altering the shape
of the vocal tract above the larynx
(supralaryngeal or supraglottal). The shape
can be changed by opening or closing the
velum (which opens or closes the nasal cavity
connection into the oropharynx), by moving
the tongue or by moving the lips or the jaw.
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Vocal Tract Articulators
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THE END


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