Phonetics

What is Phonetics?

DEFINITION

• The study of how speech sounds are made, and which sounds are used in a given language.

COMPONENTS OF PHONETICS

• Identifying the place of articulation in the vocal tract, mouth and nose.

• Identifying the manner of articulation, including how air is channeled and/or stopped during speech sounds.

• Identifying which speech sounds are used in any given language, and which are not.

How are they made?

Speech Sounds

How are they classified?

Consonants are formed by the slowing or stopping air somewhere in the vocal tract

Consonants

Types of Speech Sounds

Vowels Vowels are formed by changes in the shape of the vocal tract as air passes unimpeded

The Phonetics of Consonants

means where the vocal tract is shut off or narrowed

Place of articulation

Voicing

Manner of Articulationmeans how the vocal tract is shut off or narrowed

means whether air is forced through the larynx or not

The Anatomy of the Vocal Tract Your

homework is to go online and find out what the following articulatory places are and where they are located:

Glottis

Uvula

Consonant Place of Articulation 1: Bilabials

Bilabials are accomplished by narrowing the vocal tract using both lips

pin map boy

Consonant Place of Articulation 2: Labiodentals

Labiodentals are accomplished by narrowing the vocal tract using both the lips and the teeth

fan van

Consonant Place of Articulation 3: Apicodental

(Interdentals)

Apicodentals, also called interdentals are accomplished by narrowing the vocal tract

using the tip (apex) of the tongue between the teeth to narrow the vocal tract

there thing

Consonant Place of Articulation 4:

Apicoalveolar (Alveolar)

Apicoalveolar, also called alveolars are accomplished by narrowing the vocal tract

using the tip (apex) of the tongue against the alveolar ridge behind the teeth

dip tip

Consonant Place of Articulation 5: Alveolarpalatal

Alveolarpalatal are accomplished by narrowing the vocal tract using the tip (apex) of the tongue behind the alveolar ridge at the

front edge of the palate

shout judge child

Consonant Place of Articulation 6: Velums

Velums are accomplished by completely closing the vocal tract at the velum

get cat

Manner of Articulation

means how the shutting off or narrowing of the vocal tract is

done

Consonant Manner of Articulation 1: Stops

Stops are accomplished by completely obstructing the airstream

pick get dig

Consonant Manner of Articulation 2: Fricatives

Fricatives are accomplished by almost completely obstructing the airstream

causing friction

fish kiss shell

Consonant Manner of Articulation 3: Affricatives

Affricatives are accomplished by stopping the air flow and then releasing air to cause

friction

child gym judge

Consonant Manner of Articulation 4: Nasals

Nasals are accomplished by closing the vocal tract at the velum and forcing air

through the nasal passages

nickel man ring

Consonant Manner of Articulation 5: Liquids

Liquids are accomplished by restricting but not closing off air flow

leave ring

Consonant Manner of Articulation 6: Glides

Glides are accomplished by restricting but not closing off air flow followed by a slight

opening of the vocal tract

yet wash whistle

Consonant Manner of Articulation 7: Taps

Taps are accomplished by quickly tapping the tongue against another part of the vocal tract and is frequently found in the middle

of a word

letter ladder

Consonant Manner of Articulation 8: Trills

Trills are accomplished by forcing the tongue, uvula or lips to vibrate

In Spanish perro barrio

Two Types of Voicing

sounds are made by narrowing the vocal cords and forcing air between them

got bit

sounds are made by opening the vocal cords and allowing air to flow past them

caught pit

Voiced

Unvoiced

Classification of Vowels

Four Criteria for Classifying Vowels:

Tongue Height

Tongue Location (toward back or front)

Mouth & Lip Tension

Lip Rounding Vs stretching

Tongue Height

Three Positions:

High: bit straight pool cook

Mid Mouth: get wait spot rope

Low: bat got

Tongue Location

Three Positions:

Back: pool cook rope got

Center: but around

Front: hit heat pet wait bat

Mouth &Lip Tension

Two States:

Tense Relaxed

heat hit

soon soot

wait wet

Lip Rounding Two States:

Rounded Not Rounded

pool hit

look heat

wrote pat

caught pet

wait