Chapter 2 Flashcards
phonetics
the study of speech emphasizing the description and classification of speech sounds (phones) according to their production, transmission, and perceptual features.
speech sounds and their disorders are represented by
both form (phone) and function (phoneme) difficulties Speech sounds = phones
Articulatory phonetics
deals with the production features of phones, their categorization, and arrangement according to specific details of their production.
- field of study attempts to document phones according to specific parameters, such as their manner or voicing features.
Acoustic phonetics
deals with the transmission properties of speech
- the frequency, intensity, and duration of phones are described and categorized
auditory phonetics
investigators focus on how we perceive sounds.
speech mechanism
divided into the respiratory, phonatory, resonatory, and articulatory systems.
The respiratory system
consists of: the lungs, rib cage, thorax, abdomen, trachea, and those muscles associated with breathing primary function: vital exchange of gases for life support.
secondary function: generate a stream of air for the production of speech
principle muscle: diaphragm; Several muscles aid inhalation; the more important ones are the external and internal intercostals.
Inspiration
intercostal muscles contract, exert an upward force on ribs
Expiration
intercostal muscles relax, rib cage returns to resting position
pleural linkage
Two pleurae accomplish this pleural linkage, one covering the outer surface of the lungs and one covering the inner surface of the thorax and the top portion of the diaphragm.
Alveolar pressure (during rest)
equal to the outside air pressure
subglottal air pressure
the pressure below the vocal folds, the glottis being the space between the vocal folds
primary function of the larynx and vocal folds
preventing foreign substances from entering the respiratory system
Extrinsic muscles of the larynx
(those having at least one attachment to structures outside the larynx) are primarily responsible for support and fixation of the larynx
Intrinsic muscles of the larynx
(those having both attachments within the larynx) are necessary for control during voice production
adduct
close the vocal folds
abductor
open the vocal folds
fundamental frequency
The average number of glottal openings per second
- females is approximately 200 to 260 cycles per second
- males it is between 120 and 145 cycles per second
primarily responsible for variations in fundamental frequency
Changes in the tension of the vocal folds
changes in vocal loudness result from
variations in subglottal air pressure, which varies the amplitude of the vocal folds’ vibratory cycle
We perceive this as an increase in loudness.
When more subglottal air pressure is present, the vocal folds move farther away from the midline during their vibratory cycles
timbre
the tonal quality that differentiates two sounds of the same pitch, loudness, and duration
The resonatory system
composed of three cavities within the vocal tract: the pharyngeal, oral, and nasal cavities
Vocal tract
consists of all speech-related systems above the vocal folds
pharyngeal cavity
a muscular and membranous tube-like structure extends from the epiglottis to the soft palate
oral cavity
mouth area extends from the lips to the soft palate
nasal cavity
ose area, consist of two narrow chambers that begin at the soft palate and end at the exterior portion of the nostrils
The floor of the nasal cavities is the hard palate.
Resonance
the selective reinforcement and absorption of sound energy at specific frequencies
- certain frequencies are amplified or intensified (reinforced), whereas others are suppressed or damped out (absorbed)
one major component in determining our characteristic vocal qualities as well as in providing the basis for specific speech sounds
velopharyngeal mechanism
- directly affects speech sound quality by channeling airflow through either the oral or the nasal cavities
- consists of the structures and muscles of the velum (soft palate) and those of the pharyngeal walls
velopharyngeal port
he passage that connects the oropharynx and the nasopharynx, can be closed by (1) elevation and posterior movements of the velum and (2) some forward and medial movements of the posterior and lateral pharyngeal walls.
The articulatory system
directly involved in forming individual speech sounds.
- The structures within this system consist of the lips, tongue, mandible, teeth, hard palate (including the alveolar ridge), velum, and uvula, which are called articulators
Vowels
produced with a relatively open vocal tract; no significant constriction of the oral (and pharyngeal) cavities is required.
aka open sounds
- always with vocal fold vibration (VOICED)
- also known as sonorants
Consonants
have significant constriction in the oral and/or pharyngeal cavities during their production
aka constricted sounds
- with or without vocal fold vibration (voice or voiceless)
Sonority
its loudness relative to that of other sounds with the same length, stress, and pitch
sonorant consonants
produced with a relatively open expiratory passageway. The sonorant consonants include the nasals ([m, n, ŋ]) and the approximants ([l, ɹ, w, j]).
obstruents
which are characterized by a complete or narrow constriction between the articulators hindering the expiratory airstream.
- The obstruents include the plosives ([p, b, t, d, k, ɡ]), the fricatives ([f, v, s, z, θ, ð, ʃ, ʒ, h]), and the affricates ([ʧ, ʤ]).
syllabic
A consonant that functions as a syllable nucleus
monophthongs
Vowel that remains qualitatively the same throughout its entire production; a pure vowel.
diphthongs
vowels in which there is a change in quality during their production
- beginning of diphthong is on-glide
- the end of the diphthong is off-glide
Three phonetic categories are used to characterize consonants
(1) voicing features, (2) place of articulation, and (3) manner of articulation
Voicing
term used to denote the presence or absence of simultaneous vocal fold vibration, resulting in voiced or voiceless consonants
cognates
Pairs of similar sounds, such as [t] and [d], that differ only in their voicing feature
Place of articulation
where the constriction or narrowing occurs for the various consonant productions. The upper lip, upper teeth, palate, and velum are the main stationary places of articulation
Manner of articulation
the type of narrowing that the articulators produce for the realization of a particular consonant
plosives
complete blockage is secured at specific points in the vocal tract.
fricatives
the articulators approximate each other so closely that the escaping expiratory airstream causes an audible friction noise.
sibilants
have a higher amplitude and pitch due to the presence of high-frequency components
Nasal
consonants are produced with the velum lowered so that air can pass freely through the nasal cavity
Affricates
First, a complete closure is formed between the articulators, and the velum is raised.
Second, the stop is then slowly (in comparison to the plosives) released orally, resulting in the friction portion of the speech sound
coarticulation
describes the concept that the articulators are continually moving into position for other segments over a stretch of speech
assimilation
refers to adaptive articulatory changes through which one speech sound becomes similar, sometimes identical, to a neighboring sound segment.
contact assimilation
directly adjacent sounds are modified
remote assimilation
If at least one other segment separates the sounds in question, especially when the two sounds are in two different syllables
progressive assimilation
a segment influences a following sound in a linear manner.
regressive assimilation
a sound segment influences a preceding sound
total assimilation
occurs when the changed segment and the source of the influence become identical.
partial assimilation
when the changed segment is close to, but not identical to, the source segment
peak
is the most prominent, acoustically most intense part of the syllable
onset
consists of all the segments prior to the peak
coda
made up of all the sound segments of a syllable following its peak
