Exam 1 Study Questions Flashcards
Branch of Phonetics:
The study of a listener’s psychoacoustic response to speech sounds
Perceptual Phonetics
Branch of Phonetics:
The study and transcription of speech sound disorders
Clinical Phonetics
Branch of Phonetics:
The laboratory study of phonetics
Experimental Phonetics
Branch of Phonetics:
The study of the function of the speech organs during the process of speaking
Physiological Phonetics
Branch of Phonetics:
The study of sound changes in words through time
Historical Phonetics
Branch of Phonetics:
The study of the frequency, intensity and duration of the various consonants and vowels
Acoustic Phonetics
Phonetics vs. Phonology
Phonetics= the study of the production and perception of speech sounds Phonology= the systematic organization of speech sounds in the production of language; the study of the linguistic rules that specify the manner in which phonemes are organized and combined into syllables, words, and sentences
Why was the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) developed? What does it represent?
Designed for consistency in the field of phonetic transcription; represents the perceived sounds of phonemes
Voiced vs. Voiceless
Voiced= vocal folds vibrate, sound is produced (/z/) Voiceless= no VF vibration, no sound, only air (/s/)
How does IPA transcription practice differ from individual to individual?
Different dialects may pronounce the same sound differently
Explain dialects
Cultural and regional variations of accent and language
None is inferior to another
Should never be considered a substandard form of language
Define grapheme
the smallest unit of written language (essentially letters)
Define primary stress
the syllable that carried the most emphasis/vocal force in a word; indicated in IPA by (‘) symbol (ex. ba’NA’na)
Define morpheme
the smallest unit of language that carries meaning (can be individual words, prefixes, suffixes, etc)
Free vs. Bound morpheme
Free morpheme= morpheme that can stand alone to function as a word
Bound morpheme= carries its own meaning, but must be attached to a free morpheme to function in a word
(Ex. “Books” - ‘book’=free, ‘s’=bound, indication plural)
Define minimal pair
pairs of words that differ by only one phoneme
Ex. book & hook; cat & bat
Define syllable
unit of pronunciation with only one vowel sound
Open vs Closed syllable
Open syllable= contains only one vowel that comes at the end of the syllable (ex. the, she, go,)
Closed syllable= contains only one vowel which is followed by a consonant or consonant cluster (ex. cat, sock, got)
Define nucleus
also called a peak, it is the most central part of a syllable; most commonly a vowel (ex. cAt)
Define consonant cluster
sequence or group of consonants that do not contain a vowel (ex. in “splits,” /spl/ and /ts/)
3 Types of phonetic transcription
- Broad: basic transcription of phonemes
- Narrow: a more detailed transcription involving specialized symbols (diacritics) to differentiate between small variations in the same phoneme (allophones)
- Impressionistic: variation of narrow transcription used when nothing is known about the particular sound system being transcribed
Define diacritics
a system of special symbols (such as accents and cedillas) that represent variations in pronunciation
Define allophone
variant pronunciations in a letter or phoneme
ex. the first /l/ in “little” is light, while the second /l/ is heavier
Define larynx
hallow, muscular organ that houses the vocal folds; sometimes called the “voice box” and is responsible for the Adam’s apple
Define diaphragm
major muscle that separates the abdominal and thoracic cavities; main muscle used in respiration
Define mandible
the lower jaw
Define maxilla
the upper jaw
Define labial
in reference to lips
Define lingual
in reference to tongue
Define dental
in reference to teeth
Define vocal folds
elastic folds of muscle tissue located in the larynx; vibration of the vocal folds causes voiced sound
Define Eustachian tubes
a narrow passage leading from the pharynx to the cavity of the middle ear; equalizes changes in pressure and allows drainage of mucus from the middle ear
Define alveolar ridge
the gum ridge of the maxilla; upper gums
Define velum
the soft palate; opens and closes to direct airflow between oral and nasal cavities
Adduction vs. abduction
In reference to vocal folds:
- adduct= vocal folds come together and close
- abduct= vocal fold come apart and open
Define velopharyngeal closure
when velum is raised and contacts back wall of pharynx, closing off nasopharynx from oropharynx
Anatomical terms of orientation:
anterior vs posterior, superior vs inferior, prone vs supine
A vs P= front vs back
S vs I= above vs below
P vs S= face up vs face down
Where does speech production begin?
in the lungs
Name the 3 alphabet letters not represented in IPA
Q, X, and C
What causes pitch?
the rate (frequency) at which the vocal folds vibrate
Define articulation
The coming together of articulators to create various speech sounds. Articulators include the teeth/gums, lips, and tongue
Sounds are named after the articulators used to produce them (ex. bilabial= both lips; labio-dental= tongue and teeth)
Define phonation
the production of vocal sounds due to vocal fold vibration
Define subglottal pressure
when airstream enters the larynx it exerts pressure on vocal folds from below
Define Bernoulli effect
the rapid flow of air between vocal folds causes a drop in air pressure, resulting in vocal folds being stuck together; causes the vibrations that produce voiced sound
Define fundamental frequency
the basic rate at which vocal folds will vibrate to produce sound; highest in children, higher in women than in men
Define glottis
opening between the vocal folds; airway between mouth and trachea
Define hyoid bone
the “floating bone;” provides an anchor for the dorsum (tongue)
