ENGLISH PHONOLOGY:

PRONUNCIATION
LESSON 1

FEATURES OF PRONUNCIATION
The Description of Speech
SUNEETA SINGH (MRP ENGLISH)
GISTC KAPURTHALA

Phonemes
Phonemes

are considered the basic unit of phonology.

The word phoneme is of Greek origin that means
sound.
Phonemes are speech sounds as they are
perceived, that is to say, it is pronunciation
A phoneme is a perceived unit
of language that signals a
difference in meaning when
contrasted to another
Whenever we think of the individual sounds that
are combined to make up a word, we always think
in terms of phonemes. When we learn a new
word, we should try to think about its phonetic
pronunciation. We also use phonemes as a

Phonemes help us distinguish an uttered (spoken) word

from its written form.
EX: log
dog
fog
mob
sob
bob

- Rhyme - similar phonemes

Pig Latin- shifting vowel and consonant sounds.
Ex: mess essmay
father atherfay

chick ickchay
star arstay

- telephone connection
- accents: difficulty in understanding
a foreigner speaking your native language.

Features of Pronunciation
supra-

segmental
vowels
Single

diphthon
gs
thriphtho
ngs
short

segmental

consonants

voiced
voicel
ess

long
B C D F G H J K L M
N P Q R S T V X Z
W
Y

rhyth
m
syllabl
e
struct
ure
uttera
nce

intonati
on
supra-segmental
elements of
speech
stress
word
stress

senten
ce
stress

lengt
h

tone

pitch

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
VOWELS
CONSONANTS
1.THE PHYSIOLOGICALAND
DIFFERENCE
- the way the sounds are
produced.

2. ACOUSTIC DIFFERENCE - auditory quality of sounds

3. ROLE IN THE SYLLABLE - vowels are usually the centre or
nucleus of the syllable; consonants are marginal
Ex: dog, sail, book, phone, beau-ti-ful,
di-ffi-cult

4. VOICING - activity of the vocal cords.

belief - believe
ba - bae

All vowel sounds are

voiced

The Physiology of Pronunciation

Human Speech Apparatus

1. The RESPIRATORY apparatus (lungs)

provides the air which is used in the production of most speech sounds.
2. The LARYNX (vocal cords)generates most of the energy
in speech sounds.

3. The SUPRAGLOTTAL CAVITIES

(mouth, pharynx, nasal cavity), which act as
resonators for the laryngeal tone

The Physiology of
Pronunciation
According to their functions, the
organs of speech are sub-divided
into:
ARTICULATORS and
PLACES ( POINTS) OF ARTUCULATION
The articulators are movable parts of
the vocal tract. They are organs or parts
of organs that produce speech .

ARTICULATO
p, b, m, t, v
TongueRS
, and
Lower lip

production of

its three parts:

Tip
Middle
Back

Thin, then, din, line

Sin, chin, join
Goal, coal, cold

Vocal cords All sounds

The PLACES (points) of

Articulation

The PLACES (points) of Articulation - place in

the vocal tract where there is the greatest
degree of air obstruction

Upper lip

Initial sounds like pill,

Upper front teeth and

lower lip
Lower front teeth, with

Initial sounds like fan,

As in words like

the tip of tongue as articulator.

think, thank, this, those

Alveolar ridge, located

Initial sounds in the words like

behind the upper front teeth.

ten, den, let, chin.

bill
van

Thank you!

nnesterenko@utpl.edu.ec

To be continued!...
suneetamahi123@gmail.com
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