Choose Your Vocab: Phonetics

Question 1

phonetics

Answer 1

The subdiscipline of linguistics dealing with the characteristics of speech sounds.

Question 2

sound inventory

Answer 2

the pool of sounds which English speakers use to construct the words of their language.

Question 3

international phonetic alphabet (IPA)

Answer 3

the written alphabet for phonetics, a transcription system containing a different symbol for each sound. different from the English alphabet.

Question 4

received pronunciation (RP)

Answer 4

the IPA symbols and sample words for all sounds that occur in the standard accent of British English.

Question 5

general American

Answer 5

analogous with RP. the standard reference accent of North American English. not often occurring in RP, if at all.

Question 6

frequency

Answer 6

the number of vibrations of a sound.

Question 7

vocal tract

Answer 7

the entire passage above the larynx where speech sounds are shaped.

Question 8

articulators

Answer 8

all parts of the vocal apparatus which are involved in speech production.

Question 9

place of articulation

Answer 9

the point of closest constriction in the vocal tract as a criterion for the description and classification of consonants.

Question 10

manner of articulation

Answer 10

the various production methods of consonants.

Question 11

fricatives

Answer 11

the name for consonant sounds produced by forcing air past a small opening between the upper teeth and lower lip, such as the manner in which the letter “f” is pronounced through friction.

Question 12

affricates

Answer 12

the name for the combination of a plosive (t) sound made by expelling air followed by the friction of a fricative (f) sound, creating a unique sound (tf).

Question 13

approximants

Answer 13

a sound that is produced by bringing one articulator in the vocal tract close to another without, however, causing audible friction.

Question 14

vocal cords

Answer 14

two small muscular folds which are located at the lower end of the larynx that is chiefly responsible for the production of voice.

Question 15

voiceless

Answer 15

all sounds made with no vibration of the vocal cords.

Question 16

voiced

Answer 16

refers to all sounds that a produced using the vibration of vocal cords.

Question 17

diphthongs

Answer 17

a sound formed by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable, in which the sound begins as one vowel and moves toward another (as in coin).

Question 18

monophthongs

Answer 18

a vowel that has a single perceived auditory quality (as in the /u:/ sound in the word you).

Question 19

rounded

Answer 19

the sound of a vowel produced by pursing the lips.

Question 20

unrounded

Answer 20

the sound of a vower which does not involve pursing the lips.