distinctive features

Question 1

What are DISTINCTIVE FEATURES?

Answer 1

1)Every speech sound are composed of bundle
of features called distinctive features, which
distinguish it from other sounds.
2) Distinctive features are mostly defined by the
articulatory (phonetic) properties of the
sounds.
3) Distinctive features are binary : [± voice]

Question 2

What are the FUNCTIONS OF DISTINCTIVE FEATURES?

Answer 2

Distinctive features have THREE functions:
* 1) to write natural phonological rules and
make generalizations in a simpler and more
concise way.
* 2) to distinguish segments from each other,
and
* 3) to group segments into natural classes. (s, p, k,θ) = a natural class they are all [- voice]. (m,n, ŋ) natural class they are all [+nasal]

Question 3

What is a natural class?

Answer 3

a group of sounds in a language that share one or more phonetic or phonological features
A natural class is formally defined by one shared feature or by a set of features.
The segments which are the triggers and
undergoers of phonological rules must be a natural class.
For example, “voiceless consonants” form a natural class which shares the feature [-voice].

Question 4

Vowel features: [high]

Answer 4

[+high]= high vowels [i(seat),I,(sit) u,(boot) /ʊ/(put)]
[- high]= mid and low vowels the remaining vowels,

Question 4

Vowel features: [back]

Answer 4

[+back]= central & back vowels
[-back]= front vowels

Question 5

What is the difference between back vowels and [+back] vowels?

Answer 5

[+back] this feature is used to describe both central & back vowels.
back vowels only for the ipa chart vowel.

Question 6

Vowel features: [low]

Answer 6

[+low]= low vowels (a)
[-low]= mid and high vowels

Question 7

How can we describe mid vowels?

Answer 7

we use both [-high] & [-low]
because [-high] includes mid and low vowels so we use another feature to eliminate the low vowels. Therefore, we add -low feature to just keep the mid vowels.

Question 7

Vowel features: [round]

Answer 7

[+round]= the lips are rounded in producing the sound, {u, ʊ, ɔ, ɒ }
[-round]=all remaining English monophthongs

Question 7

Vowel features: [ATR] tense

Answer 7

[+ATR] = tesne vowels i, u
[-ATR] = lax vowels ʊ

Question 8

Major class feature: [±consonantal]

Answer 8

whether or not the segment is produced with a degree of obstruction in the oral cavity.
[+ consonantal]: {stops, fricatives, affricates, nasals, trills, flap, liquids}
liquids= l, r and all r sounds
[- consonantal]: {vowels, glides, laryngeals=(/h, ʔ/)}.
glides= j ( young), w (wit)

Question 9

Major class feature: [±sonorant]

Answer 9

whether or not the vocal tract is minimally constricted to allow free flow of air.
[+ sonorant]: {vowels, approximants, nasals,trills, flap}
[- sonorant]: {stops, fricatives, and affricates}
* Remember: [-sonorant] consonants are obstruents.

Question 10

Major class feature: [±syllabic]

Answer 10

whether or not the sounds can
function as the nuclei of syllables.
[+ syllabic] sounds are vowels and
syllabic nasals/ liquids
[- syllabic] sounds are obstruents, glides, flaps, and trills

Question 11

Laryngeal features=[± voice]

Answer 11

Laryngeal features characterize the states of the glottis.
* [± voice]: whether or not the vocal folds vibrate.
[+ voice ]Vowels and sonorant consonants
* Some obstruents are [+ voice]; others are [-voice]. for example /t/ [-v], d [+v]

Question 12

Laryngeal features= [±spread glottis] or [±heightened subglottal pressure]:

Answer 12

is used to distinguish between
aspirated and unaspirated consonants.
[+spread glottis]: aspirated consonants ([bh],[ph], [th]).
[- aspirated glottis]: unaspirated consonants ([b], [p], [t]).

Question 13

Laryngeal features= [± constricted glottis]

Answer 13

whether or not a glottalic closure (vocal folds are drawn together) is involved.
*[+ constricted glottis]: { ejectives , implosives, glottal stop [ʔ], and glottalized sounds}
* [- constricted glottis]: {pulmonic egressive and velaric ingressive sounds}

Question 14

Manner features:[± continuant]

Answer 14

whether or not the sound is produced without a complete blockage in the vocal tract.
* [+ continuant]: {fricatives, approximants, trills, and flaps} = allowing free air flow.
* [- continuant]: { stops, affricates, and nasals}.

Question 15

Manner features: [±nasal]

Answer 15

whether or not the velum is lowered;
thus, allowing air to escape through the nose.
*[+ nasal]: {nasal consonants, nasalized vowels}
* [- nasal]: { oral consonants and vowels}

Question 16

Manner features: [±delayed release]

Answer 16

whether or not the sound
is produced with a slow release of oral
obstruction. This feature differentiates
between affricates and stops
[+ delayed release] affricates
[- delayed release] stops

Question 17

Manner features: [±lateral]

Answer 17

whether or not the sound is produced with air passing along one or both sides of the tongue.
* [+ lateral]: {lateral consonants, such as /l/}

Question 18

Place features: [± labial]

Answer 18

whether or not the lips are involved
in the sound production.
* [+ labial]: {bilabials and labiodentals}
* [- labial] the others

Question 19

Place features: [± anterior]

Answer 19

whether or not the consonant is produced at or forward(before) of the alveolar ridge.
[+ anterior]: {bilabials”before”, “before”labiodentals,”before’ dentals and “at the aleveolar ridge”alveolars}
[- anterior]: {post-alveolars, palatals, velars, uvulars, pharyngeals, and glottals}

Question 20

Place features: [± coronal]

Answer 20

whether or not the tip/blade of the tongue is raised.
[+ coronal]: dentals, alveolars, post alveolars, palatals}
* [- coronal]: {bilabials, labiodentals, velars,uvulars, and pharyngeals, glottals}

Question 21

Place features:[±distributed]

Answer 21

whether or not the coronal sound is made with a wide area of contact between the tip/blade of the tongue and the roof of the mouth or teeth.
* It distinguishes mainly between dentals and alveolars:
* [+ distributed]: {dentals, post-alveolar}
* [-distributed]: {alveolars}

Question 22

Acoustic features: [±strident]

Answer 22

whether or not the consonant is
produced with greater noisiness. This feature is restricted to fricatives and affricates.
[- strident]: {β, ɸ, θ, ð, x, ɣ, ħ, ʕ, h, ɦ }
* [+ strident]: { all remaining fricatives and
affricates}.
* [+strident] consonants are {f, v, s, z, ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ} in English.
* English sibilants are {s, z, ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ}

Question 23

Suprasegmental features: [±stress]

Answer 23

Suprasegmental features describe the
phonetic features that accompany one sound or a sequence of sounds:
[±stress]: vowels can be either stressed
[+stress], or unstressed [- stress].

Question 24

Suprasegmental features: [±long]

Answer 24

long/geminated [+long], or short [- long]. /t:/ =geminated /u:/ long

Question 25

What is Labialization?

Answer 25

Labializationis the addition of lip-rounding
(i.e., rounded back [w]- or [u]-like articulation) to the primary production of the sound. [egwɑ] “ hand” [egɑ] “stranger”

Question 26

What is Palatalization?

Answer 26

Palatalizationis the raising of the front of thetongue toward the hard palate (i.e. front [i]- or [j]-like articulation), in addition to the primary production of the segment.
[brɑtj] “to take” [brɑt] “brother”

Question 27

what is Velarization?

Answer 27

Velarization refers to the raising of the back of the tongue toward the velum in addition to the primary articulation of the consonant.
* [bɣi] “yellow” [bji] “be”

Question 28

What is Pharyngealization?

Answer 28

Pharyngealization denotes the lowering and retracting of the tongue body toward the pharynx), in addition to the primary sound articulation.

Question 29

Vowel features applied to consonants
[+ high]

Answer 29

{high vowels, palatals, velars, labio-
velar /w/, and labialized, palatalized, and
velarized consonants}

Question 30

Vowel features applied to consonants
[- high]

Answer 30

{mid and low vowels, uvulars, pharyngeals, and pharyngealized consonants}

Question 31

Vowel features applied to consonants
[+ back]

Answer 31

{central &back vowels, labio-velar /w/, velars,uvulars, pharyngeals, and labialized, velarized, and pharyngealized consonants

Question 32

Vowel features applied to consonants
[- back]

Answer 32

{ front vowels, palatals, palatalized
consonants}.

Question 33

Vowel features applied to consonants
[+ low]

Answer 33

{low vowels, pharyngeals, and
pharyngealized consonants}

Question 34

Vowel features applied to consonants
[+round/labial]

Answer 34

{rounded vowels, labio-velar
/w/, and labialized consonants}