4 - The Sound Patterns of Language Flashcards
What is phonetics?
The study of characteristics of speech sounds
What is articulatory phonetics?
How speech sounds are made
What is acoustic phonetics?
Speech as sound waves
What is auditory phonetics?
Perception of speech sounds
What is phonology?
- Study of the systems and patterns of speech sounds
- How sounds relate to each other
How is speech produced?
Lungs -> trachea (windpipe) -> larynx (with vocal cords) -> vocal tract (air passages above vocal cords) -> oral tract and nasal tract
What does IPA stand for?
International phonetic alphabet
How are consonants formed?
Obstruction of air stream through the vocal tracts
How are voiceless consonants formed?
Vocal cords spread apart -> air passes between with no obstruction
How are voiced consonants formed?
Vocal cords drawn together -> air pushes them apart as it passes through
How are vowels formed?
Free airflow
What are diphthongs?
Combination of 2 vowel sounds
- From low (open) toward high (close) front: e.g. my, pie
- From low (open) toward high back: e.g. doubt, cow
What are phonemes?
Smallest meaning - distinguished sound unit in a language
- Indicated by slash marks //
What are minimal pairs?
- Pairs of words / expressions identical except for one sound in the same position
- Changing of that sound for the other -> change of meaning
What are phones?
- Physically produced speech sounds, representing one version of a phoneme
- Different pronunciations but no change of meaning
