Definitions Phonetics the study of the symbols that

Definitions • Phonetics - the study of the symbols that represent meaningful speech sounds. – The sounds in all the languages of the world together constitute a limited set, although some sounds in one language are not in another.

More Definitions • Articulatory phonetics - the study of how the vocal tract produces the sounds of language • Acoustic phonetics - the study of the physical properties of the sounds • Clinical phonetics - deals with phonetics as it deals with disorders. • Auditory phonetics - the study of the way listeners perceive sounds

Speech involves 2 processes (1) production of the speech sounds (described in terms of articulatory and acoustic phonetics); (2) perception of the speech sounds (described in terms of auditory phonetics)

Phonetic Principle • Phonetic Principle - each distinct sound of a language is represented by one and only one graphic symbol. – LETTERS do NOT make sound! – Symbols are used to represent the sounds that we make – Orthography = Letters – we study phonetics because writing doesn’t follow the Phonetics Principle

Orthography vs Phonetic Alphabet • Discrepancy between spelling and sounds gave rise to a movement of “spelling reformers” • wanted to revise the alphabet so that one letter would correspond to one sound, and one sound to one letter • this alphabet would be a phonetic alphabet

Orthography vs Phonetic Alphabet • Problems with orthography – a. Different letters represent a single sound (many letters: 1 sound) • to too two through threw clue shoe • o, oo, wo, ough, ew, ue, oe = /u/ – b. A single letter represents different sounds (l letter: many sounds) • dame dad father call village many • “a” = /e, æ, a, , I, /

Orthography vs Phonetic Alphabet • A combination of letters represent a single sound (several letters = 1 sound) – shoot character Thomas physics coat plain – oo /u/ ch /k/ th /t/ ph /f/ oa /o/ ai /e/ • some sounds are not represented by a letter (1 letter = 2 sounds) – cute futile utility – u /ju/ • one letter represents two sounds – xerox x = /ks/ • one letter represents no sound (silent letter) – cute (“e” is silent) – In English, there a lot of silent letters. EX “psycho” (6 letters, 4 sounds)

International Phonetic Alphabet • To describe the sounds of English, or any other language, we cannot depend on the spelling of words – this led to the development of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) in 1888 which could be used to symbolize the sounds found in all languages – because many languages use a Roman alphabet like that used in the English writing system, the IPA phonetic symbols are based on the Roman letters

IPA (con’t) • These phonetic symbols have a consistent value, unlike ordinary letters, which may or may not represent the same sounds in the same or different languages • the IPA phonetic alphabet is still the primary one used all over the world today by phoneticians, language teachers, speech pathologists, linguists, and anyone wishing to symbolize the spoken word. • It is impossible to construct any set of symbols that will specify all the minute differences between sounds – no two utterances are ever physically the same

Phonetic Alphabet • Phonetic alphabet - a set of symbols which can be used to differentiate all the phonetic sound segments in a one symbol to one sound fashion – a phonetic alphabet should include enough symbols to represent the “crucial” differences

Phonetic Transcription • phonetic transcription - representation of spoken language through the use of phonetic symbols – broad transcription - basics of what is spoken without any notation for finer distinction – narrow transcription - finer description of speech using diacritics to specify such properties as nasalization, length, stress, rounding, etc.

Phonetic Transcription • Phonetic transcription is enclosed in [ ] – phonetic realization (pronunciation) • Phonemic transcriptions are enclosed in / / – phonemic segments (ideal) • Although when we speak or listen to someone speak, we hear speech as continuous (like music) – but everyone who analyzes language recognizes that speech utterances can be segmented into individual sounds • “cat” has 3 sounds k æ t