PHONETICS

Phonetics
Phonetics: study of speech sounds.
Articulatory phonetics: study how
speech sounds are produced.
Acoustic phonetics: study of the
physical properties of sound
Auditory phonetics: study of how
sounds are perceived by the ear and
decoded by the brain
Phonetics
 The Apparatus of Speech
Two vocal tracts help produce speech sounds.
Respiratory and digestive tracts
The lungs push air through the throat, nose
and mouth.
Most sounds are produced by expelling air
(egressive sounds).
Some sounds are produced while inhaling
(ingressive sounds).
Organs of Speech/Articulators
Organs of Speech/Articulators
Air from the lungs travels up the trachea
(windpipe) and into the larynx (voice box)
Larynx contains two small folds called
vocal folds.
Space between vocal folds is known as
glottis.
the covering of glottis is epiglottis to allow
food through esophagus.
Organs of Speech/Articulators
After the air passes though the larynx, it
changes the shape of the pharyngeal
(throat), nasal, (nose) and oral (mouth)
cavities.
The position of the tongue, teeth, lips, and
uvula creates different sounds.
The tongue can touch the alveolar ridge,
the hard palate, and the soft palate or
velum.
 Voiced and Voiceless Sounds
Voiced sounds: produced by
vibrations of vocal folds.
When the vocal folds are closed,
narrow pathway is created for the air to
go through.
Voiceless sounds are produced
when the vocal folds are open to allow
the airstream to flow.
Voiced and Voiceless Sounds
Press your finger against your larynx and
say a long v sound – [vvvvvv]. you will
notice vibrations from your larynx.
Do the same thing f sound – [ffffff]. Notice
the lack of vibrations.
Orthography refers to the spelling and
writing system of a language.
However, there are some differing degrees
of voicing.
Voiced and Voiceless Sounds
 Consonants
Consonants: speech sound produced
when airstream is constricted or stopped.
Stream can be blocked by closure of glottis
and followed sudden opening.
Obstructions that occur to create different
types of consonants can take place at many
locations between glottis and lips.
English Consonants
 Vowels
Vowels: sounds produced with no closure or
obstruction of airstream.
Different vowel sounds depend on which cavity
(oral, nasal, or pharyngeal) is used.
Shape of oral cavity is affected by position of lips
and tongue.
For example, vowel sound in the word to is
produced with high point of the tongue in the back
of the mouth, oral cavity closed ,and lips rounded.
English Vowels
Consonants: Place of Articulation
Articulation: production of speech
sounds by movement of speech organs.
Unlike a vowel, a consonant is
obstructed.
Place of articulation will vary.
Sounds perceived as being the same
are not the same in acoustic terms.
 Place of Articulation: Bilabials

Bilabials: produced by both

lips.
Note the initial sounds in pool,
boot, and money.
They are phonetically
represented by [p], [b], and [m].
 Bilabials
The two lips touch.

If the soft palate is raised, we

describe the sound as oral.
There are two oral bilabial
consonants in English: /p/ and /b/

If the soft palate is low, we

describe the sound as nasal.
There is one bilabial nasal
consonant in English: /m/
Place of Articulation: Labiodentals

Initial sound in five, fine, vim, and

vine are produced by raising the lower
lip to the upper front teeth.
There are two labiodentals: [f] and [v]
Bilabials and labiodentals can be
called Labials:
[p], [b], [m], [f], and [v]
 Labio-dentals
The upper teeth touch the lower lip.

The soft palate is

raised.
There are two oral
labio-dental
consonants in
English: /f/ and /v/
 Place of Articulation: Dentals

Dentals: made by the tongue and the

teeth.
The two dentals are in think and then.
For this [th] sound, our tongue may
go between the top and bottom teeth
or behind the top front teeth.
 Dentals
The tip of the tongue articulates with
the upper teeth.

The soft palate is

raised.
There are two oral
dental consonants in
English: /θ/ and /ð/
Place of Articulation: Alveolar Sounds

Alveolar sounds: produced by raising

the tip or blade of the tongue to the
alveolar ridge.
Initial sounds in time, dime, nine,
sigh, zeal, lie, and reef are alveolar
sounds.
These sounds represented by [t], [d],
[n], [s], [z], [l], and [r].
 Alveolars
The tip of the tongue articulates with the
alveolar ridge (teeth-ridge)

If the soft palate is raised, the

consonant is oral.
Four oral alveolar consonants in
English: /t/ and /d/ /s/and /z/

If the soft palate is low, we

describe the sound as nasal.
There is one alveolar nasal
consonant in English: /n/
 Place of Articulation: Palatals

Palatal sounds: made when the blade

of the tongue touches the back of
alveolar ridge or palate.
Initial sounds in shed [ʃ] and cheap
[ʧ] result in voiceless palatal sounds.
Voiced palatal sounds represented by
pleasure [ʒ], judge [ʤ], you [ȷ].
 Palatals
The front of the tongue articulates with the hard
palate.
The tip of the tongue is not at work.
The soft palate is raised, so it is an oral sound.
Place of Articulation: Velars

Velar sounds: formed when

the back of the tongue
touches the soft palate.
Final sounds in hack [k],
hag [g], and hang [ŋ] are
velar sounds.
 Velars
The back of the tongue articulates with the velum.

If the soft palate is raised, we

describe the sound as oral.
There are two oral velar consonants
in English: /k/ and /ɡ/

If the soft palate is low, we

describe the sound as nasal.
There is one velar nasal
consonant in English: /ŋ/
Place of Articulation: Labiovelars

Labiovelar sounds: created by

rounding the lips while the
back of the tongue is raised in
the velar region.
Initial sound in witch [w] is
labiovelar sound.
 Labialvelars
This sound is described as co-articulated because
the lips articulate together and the back of the
tongue articulates with the velum.
The soft palate is raises, so it is an oral sound.
The tip of the tongue is not at work.

The English labialvelar /w/ is

produced with no friction or
obstruction in the mouth
cavity.
Place of Articulation: Glottals
Glottal sounds: produced by the
glottis.
This sound sometimes used in place
of a [t] sound as in button and
mountain, and is presented as [Ɂ]
Initial sounds in hem and hop [h]
resulted from partial closure of glottis.
Manner of Articulation: Consonants

Manner of articulation differs

in the manner in which the
airstream is constricted or
released within the vocal tract.
 Manner of Articulation: Nasals

Nasals: produced in the nasal and oral

cavities.
Most sounds produced through the oral
(mouth) cavity because the velum is usually
raised.
However, if the velum is lowered, air escape
both the oral and nasal cavities.
3 nasal consonants: mad [m] (bilabial)
nose [n] (alveolar)
sing [ŋ] (velar)
Manner of Articulation: Nasals

When our nose is blocked, we

can’t produce nasal sounds.
Try producing these sounds in
this utterance:
“How come I sound so funny?”
 Nasals
Nasals (velum lowered)
 Air is stopped in the oral
cavity but velum is down so
that air can go through the
nose
 Voiced only:

Voiced
Bilabial [m]
Alveolar [n]
Velar [ɳ]
Manner of Articulation: Stops
Stops: (plosives)sounds made
by cutting off the airstream.
Stops are bilabial [p] and [b],
alveolar [t] and [d], velar [k]
and [g], and glottal [Ɂ].
A stop cannot be prolonged.
Manner of Articulation: Stops

Aspiration: amount of air produced

upon the release of a stop.
[p] in pin is said to be aspirated
(strength of released air).
[p] in spin is said to be unaspirated
(consonant is released so that the next
sound is made).
Manner of Articulation: Stops

Some English speakers do not release

all voiceless stops in the final position
such as write, hint, …etc.
[p], [t], and [k] represent
unaspirated, but released stops.
[pʱ], [tʱ], and [kʱ] represent aspirated
stops.
 Stop
Oral Stop (velum raised)
 Nasal tract is blocked off,
then airstream will be
completely obstructed.
 3 pairs of oral stop:

Voiceless Voiced

Bilabial [p] [b]

Alveolar [t] [d]

Velar [k] [g]

 Manner of Articulation: Fricatives
Fricatives: made by incomplete
obstruction of airstream, creating
turbulence beyond constriction, resulting
in a hissing sound.
They are in these positions:
Labiodental [f] and [v]
Dental [Ɵ] and [δ]
Alveolar [s] and [z]
Palatal [ʃ] and [ʒ]
 Fricatives

Labiodental Dental Alveolar Post alveolar Glottal

(voiceless) [f] [θ] [s] [ ʃ] [h]

(voiced) [v] [δ] [z] [ʒ] [h]

 Manner of Articulation: Affricates

Affricates: two sounds, starting out

with a stop but ending up as
fricative.
Initial and final sound in church
[ʧ], a stop followed by a hissing
sound.
The other affricative is [ʤ].
 Affricates
[t∫] and [dʒ]
Manner of Articulation: Liquids

Liquids: involving minimal obstruction of

airstream.
Two liquids in English [l] and [r].
[l]: tip of tongue with alveolar ridge.
[r]: curling tip of tongue up behind
alveolar ridge.
[r]: can be called retroflex
(retro=back/behind and flex: to bend)
Manner of Articulation: Glides

Glides: sometimes called semi-

vowels
Obstruction of airstream is less
than other consonants.
Glide sounds are [j], [w], and [ʍ]
 Approximant

Semivowels
Glides
[j] , [w]

Approximant Lateral approximant:

[l]

Central approximant :
Liquids
Alveolar continuant
[l] , [r]
[ɹ]

Rhotic:
Alveolar trill [r]
Alveolar tap [ɾ]
Vowels
Diphthongs