ENGLISH PHONETICS AND

PHONOLOGY
Teacher: Le Cao Hoang Ha

• Group 2:
1. Tưởng Thị Lý 6. Lê Duy Nam
2. Phạm Văn Minh 7. Nguyễn Quang Tuấn
3. Nguyễn Hữu Hảo 8. Lương Bá Duy
4. Nguyễn Thị Thu Hà 9. Nguyễn Thị Thúy Hiền
5. Trần Hoàng 10. Lê Bá Đồng

Minh
 CONTENT

CHAPTER III
THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE ENGLISH SPEECH SOUNDS

CHAPTER IV
THE SOUND PATTERNS OF LANGUAGE

Minh
Chapter 3. The classification of the English speech sounds

CONTENT

1. Speech sounds

2. Vowels

3. Consonants

Minh
 Chapter 3. The classification of the English speech sounds
1. Speech sounds
•Speech sounds are divided into vowels and consonants;
•Vowels and consonants differ in distribution and production.

THE BASIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VOWELS AND CONSONANTS

1. VOWELS: 2. CONSONANTS:
 Produced with relatively little o Produced with a complete
obstruction of the air stream in or partial obstruction of the
the vocal tract. air stream in the vocal tract.
 Voiced o Voiced or voiceless
 Syllabic o Generally not syllabic

Minh
 Chapter 3. The classification of the English speech sounds

2. VOWELS:

A vowel is a sound in the production of which the air passage

through the mouth is free. All vowels are voiced sounds.

In the English language, vowels can be classified into Pure

Vowels (Monophthong) and Diphthongs (and possibly
triphthongs).

Hảo
 Chapter 3. The classification of the English speech sounds

2. 1 Pure vowels:
A pure vowel (monophthong) is an unchanging sound in the
pronunciation of which the organs of speech do not
perceptibly change the position throughout the duration of the
vowel in a syllable.

The Cardinal Vowel Diagram is a set of standard reference points

based on a combination of articulatory and auditory judgments.

Hảo
 Chapter 3. The classification of the English speech sounds

2. 1 Pure vowels:
Once the cardinal vowel values have been learned, it is possible to place the
vowels of a speaker of any language on to the chart in a fairly precise way.

In the production of the English sounds the tongue may move forward or
backward or it may be raised or lowered. Pure vowel sounds may be
classified according to the following principles:

The Cardinal Vowel Diagram

Hảo
 Chapter 3. The classification of the English speech sounds

2.1.1. The raised part of the tongue

a. Front vowels: There are four front vowels in the English language in the
production of which the front of the tongue is raised in the direction of the
hard palate. The front vowels are: /i:/ (as in sea, teeth), /ɪ/ (as in sit, lip), /e/
(as in head, met) and /æ/ (as in man, sand).

b. Back vowels: There are five back vowels in the production of which the
back of the tongue is raised in the direction of the soft palate. The back
vowels are: /u:/ (as in shoe, fool), /ʊ/ (as in full, pull), /ɑ:/ (as in heart,
hard), /ɒ/ (as in hot, shock), and /ɔ:/ (as in short, fork).

c. Central / Mid vowels: there are vowels intermediate between front and
back. We call them central vowel sounds. In the articulation of these sounds,
the center (or middle) of the tongue is raised toward the palate. The central
vowels are /з:/ (as in bird, shirt), /ə/ (as in again, along) and /ʌ/ (as in sun,
run).
Hảo
 Chapter 3. The classification of the English speech sounds

2.1.2. The height of the raised part of the tongue

a. Close (or high) vowels: There are 4 close (or high) vowels in the production
of which one part of the tongue comes close to the palate without touching it
and the air passage is narrow, but not so much as to form a consonant. The
close vowels are /i:/, /ɪ/, /ʊ/ and /u:/.

b. Open (or low) vowels: There are 4 open (or low) vowels in the production
of which one part of the tongue is very low and the air passage is very wide,
e.g. /æ/, /ɑ:/, /ɒ/ and /ʌ/.

c. Mid - open/ mid -close vowels: There are mid-open /mid - close vowels in
the production of which the tongue is half-way between it‟s high and low
position, e.g. /e/, /ə/, /з:/ and /ɔ:/.

Hảo
 Chapter 3. The classification of the English speech sounds

2.1.3. The lip shape

a. Rounded vowels : There are rounded vowels in the production of
which the lips are drawn together so that the opening between them is
more or less round, e.g. /ʊ/, /u:/, /ɒ/, /ɔ:/, and /ɑ:/.

b. Neutral vowels: There are neutral vowels in the production of which

the lips are not noticeably rounded or spread, e.g. /ə/, /ʌ/, /з:/.

c. Spread vowels: There are spread vowels in the production of which

the lips may be spread out so as to leave a long narrow opening
between them, e.g. /i:/, /ɪ/, /e/ and /æ/.

Hảo
 Chapter 3. The classification of the English speech sounds

2.1.4. The vowel length

According to the length vowels may be long or short. The colon

(:) is used with the phonetic symbols for the vowels which are
long, e.g. /i:/, /u:/.
Position of tongue FRONT CENTRAL BACK

Height of tongue
CLOSE (high) /i:/ /u:/
/ɪ/ /ʊ/
MID – OPEN (mind) /e/ /з:/ /ɔ:/
/ə/
OPEN (low) /æ/ /ʌ / /ɑ:/
/ɒ/

Hảo
 Chapter 3. The classification of the English speech sounds

2.2. Diphthongs
A diphthong is a vowel in the production of which there is a change in
quality during a single syllable.

According to Peter Roach (1987), a diphthong is a combination of two

vowels pronounced within one syllable.

The first element of a diphthong is called the nucleus; the second

element is called the glide.

The first element in all the diphthongs is stressed and is stronger than
the second.

In some other languages, the second element is louder, stronger and

more distinct than the first.
Hảo
 Chapter 3. The classification of the English speech sounds

2.2. Diphthongs
Diphthongs can be classified into a- retracting (ending in /ʊ/, e.g. now,
town, go, show), b- fronting (ending in /ɪ/, e.g. eye, why, say, day, boy,
destroy), and c- centering (ending in /ə/, e.g. hear, near).

Diphthongs can also be classified into a- closing (ending in either /ɪ/ or

/ʊ/, e.g. life, like, say, waiter, phone, know) or b- centering (ending
in /ə/, e.g. here, near, hair, sure).

Hảo
Chapter 3. The classification of the English speech sounds

2.2. Diphthongs
The following diagram shows the classification of the diphthongs in English
according to the ending elements

Hảo
 Chapter 3. The classification of the English speech sounds

3. Consonants
3.1. Definition

A consonant is a sound in the production of which an obstruction to the

airstream is formed in the mouth by the active articulators /organs of
speech. The organs of speech are tense at the place of obstruction. In the
articulation of voiceless consonants the air stream is strong whereas in
voiced consonants it is weaker.

The particular quality of a consonant depends on the work of the vocal

cords, the position of the soft palate and the kind of noise that results
when the tongue or the lips obstruct the air-passage.

Hà
 Chapter 3. The classification of the English speech sounds

3.2. Classification
a- the source of the air stream - whether from the lungs (pulmonic) or
ormally described with reference to six criteria:
from some other source (non - pulmonic),

b- the direction of the air stream - whether moving outwards

(egressive) or inwards (ingressive),

c- the state of vibration of the vocal cords - whether vibrating (voiced)

or not (voiceless),

d- the position of the soft palate - whether raised (oral) or lowered

(nasal);

e- the place of articulation in the vocal tract, and

f- the manner of articulation.

Hà
 Chapter 3. The classification of the English speech sounds

3.2.3. Other Terms:

a. Obstruent: Because stops, fricatives, and affricates share the
phonetic property of impeding the air flow by constricting the vocal
passage, these three sets of sounds are together referred to as
obstruents.

b. Approximant: English has four sounds that are known as

approximants because they are produced by two articulators
approaching one another as for fricatives but not coming close enough
to produce audible friction. They are /j/, /r/, /l/ and /w/.

c. Continuants: sounds which are not stops are continuants because the
stream of air continues without interruption through the mouth
opening.

Hà
Chapter 3. The classification of the English speech sounds

The English Consonants

Hà
Bilabial Labio dental

Dental Alveolar
Palato-Alveolar Palatal

Velar Glottal
 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language

 The phonology: the sound system of a

language
 Include: inventory of phones, phonetic
segments, and patterns
 Phonemes of the language
 Study the ways in which speech sounds
form systems and patterns in human
language
 Use in two ways: the study of sound patterns
in a language and the sound patterns of a
language.

Hoàng
 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language

CONTENT
1. The Phoneme
2. Types of Pronunciation
3. Phonetic Alphabets
4. Principles of Transcription

Hoàng
 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language

1. The Phoneme
1.1. The phoneme theories
 The “mentalist” and “psychological” view

 The “physical” view

 The various members of the “family” must show phonetic

similarity to one another, in other words be “related in

character”.
 No member of the “family” may occur in the same phonetic

context as any other.

E.g:
The phoneme /l/: consonantal, voiced, alveolar, lateral
[l] devoiced variant after voiceless /p / as in play
[l] clear variant when used initially
[l] dark variant when used finally, as in little.
 The fuctional view: e.g: beat – bought; sea - she

 The “abstract” view

Hoàng
 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language
1. The Phoneme
1.2. Phoneme, phone, allophone
What is the definition of phoneme?

• A phoneme is the smallest phonetic unit in a language that

is capable of conveying a distinction in meaning,
• Phonemes are the abstract mental representation
• A phoneme is represented with slashes (//).
• Example: /a/, /e/, /i:/,/l/, and so on.

Hoàng
 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language

1. The Phoneme
1.2. Phoneme, phone, allophone
The example of phoneme

• The word ‘keep’ = /ki:p/

• It means to have or continue to have in your possession.
• /ki:p/ >> /di:p/
• The word ‘deep’ = /di:p/
• It means going or being a long way down from top or surface.
• “if you change a phoneme in a word to another phoneme, it
will change the meaning of th word”.

Hoàng
 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language

1. The Phoneme
1.2. Phoneme, phone, allophone
What is the meaning of phone?
• Phones are the realization sounds of phonemes.
• Phones are individual sounds as they occur in
speech. Phones are groups into distinctive sound
units (phonemes) of a language.
• When you pronounce a phoneme, it becomes a
phone.
• Phones are represented with brackets.
• Example: [a], [i:], [o], [e], [l], [j], and so on.
Hoàng
 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language

1. The Phoneme
1.2. Phoneme, phone, allophone
What is the meaning of allophones?

• Allophones are phonemes derived from the same

phoneme in different distribution or relation.
• An allophone can be defined as a predictable phonetic
variant of a phoneme.
• Allophones are audibly distinct variations of
phonemes.
• One phoneme could have several allophones.
Hoàng
 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language

1. The Phoneme
1.2. Phoneme, phone, allophone
• An actually pronounced speech sound is always a
variant (allophone) of a phoneme.
• The allophones of one and the same phoneme are,
therefore, incapable of differentiating words or the
grammatical forms of a word.
• Allophones are represented with brackets.
• Example: [o],[p],[k],[t],[d],[e], and so on.

Hoàng
 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language
1. The Phoneme
2. 1.2. Phoneme, phone, allophone
The example of allophpones
• /t/ is a phoneme.
• The word ‘TOP’ ≠ the word ‘STOP’

TOP = /ta:p/ → [th] STOP = /sta:p/→[t]

[th] is a pronounced with a [t] is a pronounced with no puff
puff of air and in the strong of air and in a weaker way.
way. It is called unaspirated.
It is called aspirated.

[th] and [t] are the allophones of phoneme /t/.

 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language

1. The Phoneme
1.3. Distinctive features
Differences which can give rise to a change of meaning
are referred to as distinctive differences
Beat - bought
/Biːt/ - /bɔːt/
Bit - boot
/Bɪt/ - /buːt/
Bat - bite
/bæt/ - /baɪt/
But - bot
/bʌt/ - /bɒt/
Thin - tin
/θɪn/ - /tɪn/
Nam
1. The Phoneme
1.3. Distinctive features
In the definition, the phoneme is defined as the minimal
distinctive unit of sound in a language.
the phoneme can be further analyzable into distinctive
features, which are particular characteristics distinguishing
one distinctive sound of a language from another or one group
of sounds from another group
/p/ /b/
+ bilabial + bilabial
- voiced + voiced
+ stop + stop
+ consonantal + consonantal
These two phonemes differ in only one respect: voice.

Nam
Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language

1. The Phoneme
1.3. Distinctive features
Distinctive features of English stop consonants

Nam
 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language

1. The Phoneme
1.4. Segmental and suprasegmental phonemes
 Word – stress
 Tone
 Sentence – stress
 Intonation
 Quantity

Tuấn
 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language

1. The Phoneme
1.5. Units larger than the phoneme

 Syllable
 Word
 Stress - group
 Foot
 Tone - group

Tuấn
 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language

2. Types of Pronunciation

Types of Pronunciation
WELCOME TEACHERS AND
FRIENDS
PART English-based American-based

British Irish Australian New American Canadian

English English English Zealand English English
English

English Welsh Scottish Northern Ireland The Eastern General The Southern
English English English English Type English Type

Hiền
 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language

2. Types of Pronunciation
Some examples of the difference between British English and American
English:

Word stress

Pronunciation
Intonation

Hiền
 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language

3. Phonetic Alphabets
- Compare languages and avoid the difficulties
inherent in describing sounds.

Đồng
 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language

3. Phonetic Alphabets
- Different letters can represent a sound (eg to, too, two,
through ...);
- As a result, a completely separate alphabet system for
presenting the actual sounds of the human language was
created.

Đồng
 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language

3. Phonetic Alphabets
- In scientific discussion, the necessary characteristics
of symbols to represent sounds are:
- The best tool is the phonetic alphabet, and the most
widely used tool is the International Phonetic Alphabet
(IPA)
 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language

4. Principles of Transcription
Phonetic symbols used in the dictionary

Đồng
 Chapter 4. Phonology: The sound patterns of language

4. Principles of Transcription

4.1. Phonemic Transcription

4.2. Allophonic Transcription

Đồng