language is sound Flashcards
_____ remains the primary way in which humans express themselves through language.
speech
_____ is a vehicle for carrying language.
speech production
Language is generally thought to consist of four sets of rule: _____.
pragmatics, semantics, syntax, and phonology
_____ is the study of linguistic rules governing the sound system of the language, including speech sounds, speech sound production, and the combination of sounds in meaningful utterances.
phonology
_____ is the specific branch that deals with individual speech sounds, their production and their representation by written symbols.
phonetics
_____ refers to the actions of the organs of speech in producing the sounds of speech.
articulation
What is the branch of linguistics that studies the inventory and structure of the sounds of speech?
phonetics
Human languages display a wide variety of sounds,
called _____.
phones or speech sounds
What is the best-known system for representing speech sounds that has been evolving since 1888?
the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
What system of transcription attempts to represent each sound of human speech with a single symbol?
the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
What are symbols enclosed in to indicate that a transcription is phonetic and not based on a language’s spelling system?
brackets [ ]
How is the English “th” sound in “weather” transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)?
[ð] (eth)
What is the benefit of using a standardized phonetic alphabet with a one-to-one correspondence between sound and symbol?
It enables linguists to transcribe languages consistently and accurately.
What does the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) use to represent speech?
segments (individual phones like [p], [s], or [m])
_____ are produced by coordinating a number of individual articulatory gestures including jaw movement, lip shape, and tongue placement.
segments
A _____ is an individual speech sound (phone).
segment
What term describes the bodily motions that produce speech sounds?
articulation
Is articulation limited to a specific region of the body?
Yes, only a restricted region of the body is involved.
What are the organs of speech composed of?
the movable parts in the oral cavity (mouth), nasal cavity, pharynx (throat), lungs, and the muscles that move these parts
_____ is produced when air is set in motion.
sound
The air supply is provided by the _____.
lungs
Where is the sound source for speech located, and what muscles are responsible for producing sound?
The sound source is in the larynx, where the vocal folds (or vocal cords) are located.
What are the filters in speech production, and what are they collectively known as?
The filters are the passages above the larynx, collectively known as the vocal tract, which includes the pharynx, the oral cavity, and the nasal cavity.
What is the most vital requirement for producing speech sounds?
Airflow, as all speech sounds are made with some movement of air.
_____ provide the energy source for the airflow.
the lungs
What are the spongy respiratory organs inside the rib cage that expand and contract as we breathe?
the lungs
_____ controls the pressure of the airflow.
the amount of air accumulated inside our lungs
What is the box-like structure in the front of the throat, commonly known as the voice box?
the larynx
What structure is popularly called the Adam’s apple and houses the trachea and vocal folds?
the larynx
What are the structures in the larynx that resemble a pair of lips placed horizontally from front to back and are joined in the front but can be separated at the back?
the vocal folds
What is the opening between the vocal folds called, and how is it classified when the folds are apart or pressed together?
The glottis. It is in an open state when the folds are apart and in a close state when the folds are pressed together.
What transforms sound into intelligible speech and can be either active or passive?
articulators
They include the pharynx, the teeth, the alveolar ridge
behind them, the hard palate, the softer velum behind it, the lips, the tongue, and the nose and its cavity.
articulators
What is the structure that lies between the mouth and the food passage, located just above the larynx, and measures about 7 cm in women and 8 cm in men?
the pharynx
What major speech organ is the roof of the mouth, and is divided into three parts?
the roof of the mouth
The _____ is situated immediately after the upper
front teeth.
alveolar ridge
What are the sounds called that are produced by touching the alveolar ridge, and what are some examples in English?
alveolar sounds; examples include /t/ and /d/
What is the concave part of the roof of the mouth located in the middle?
the hard palate
What is the lower part of the roof of the mouth that can be lowered or raised called?
the velum or soft palate
What happens to the airflow when the soft palate is lowered?
The air stream from the lungs has access to the nasal cavity.
What happens to the airflow when the soft palate is raised?
The passage to the nasal cavity is blocked.
What are the sounds called that are produced by touching the velum or soft palate with the back of the tongue, and what are some examples?
velar sounds; examples include /k/ and /g/
What speech organ plays an important role in articulation by being pressed together or brought into contact with the teeth?
the lips
The consonant sounds which are articulated by touching two lips each other are called _____.
bilabial sounds
The sounds which are produced with the lip to teeth contact are called _____.
labiodental sounds
In English, there are two labiodental sounds. What are they?
/f/ and /v/
What is an important characteristic of the lips that serves as a major criterion for describing vowel sounds?
lip-rounding
What lip position involves bringing the corners of the lips towards each other and pushing the lips forward?
rounded vowels
What lip position involves moving the lips away from each other, as in a smile, and what type of vowel does it produce?
spread lips; it produces an unrounded vowel
Again, the lips can be _____, a position where the lips are not noticeably rounded or spread. And the articulated
vowel from this position is referred to as unrounded vowel.
neutral
What speech sounds are produced with the tongue touching the teeth?
dental sounds
It is the extreme end of the tongue.
the tip
It lies opposite to the alveolar ridge.
the blade
It lies opposite to the hard palate.
the front
It lies opposite to the soft palate or
velum.
the back
The _____ is responsible for the production of many speech sounds since it can move very fast to different places and is also capable of assuming different shapes.
tongue
The shape and the position of the tongue are especially crucial for the production of vowel sounds. Thus, when we describe the vowel sounds in the context of the function of the tongue, we generally consider the following criteria:
- tongue height
- tongue frontness/backness
It is concerned with the vertical distance between the upper surface of the tongue and the hard palate. From this perspective, the vowels can be described as close and open.
tongue height
It is concerned with the part of the tongue between the front and the back, which is raised high. From this point of view, the vowel sounds can be classified as front vowels
and back vowels.
tongue frontness/backness
Some phoneticians consider the _____ as articulators since we move the lower jaw a lot at the time of speaking.
the jaws
Why are the jaws not considered articulators in the same way as others?
Because they are incapable of making contact with other articulators by themselves.
Aside from the pharynx, the teeth, the alveolar ridge behind them, the hard palate, the softer velum behind it, the lips, and the tongue, what speech organ can be considered part of speech production, and what sounds are produced using it?
the nose and its cavity
How can the sounds of language be grouped?
Based on the phonetic properties they share.
_____ are produced with relatively little obstruction in the vocal tract.
vowels (and other syllabic elements)
_____ are more sonorous.
vowels (and other syllabic elements)
_____ are produced with a complete closure or narrowing of the vocal tract.
consonants (non-syllabic elements)
_____ are less sonorous.
consonants (non-syllabic elements)
A type of sound that shows properties of both
consonants and vowels is called a _____.
glide
_____ may be thought of as rapidly articulated vowels—this is the auditory impression they produce.
glides
_____ are produced with an articulation like that of a vowel. However, they move quickly to another articulation.
glides
_____ is modified in the vocal tract by the placement
of the tongue and the positioning of the lips.
airflow
The primary articulating organ is the _____.
the tongue
It can be raised, lowered, thrust forward or retracted, and even rolled back. The sides can also be raised or lowered.
the tongue
_____ is the narrow area at the front.
the tip
Just behind the tip lies the _____.
the blade
The main mass of the tongue is called the _____.
the body
The hindmost part of the tongue that lies in the mouth (versus the throat) is called the _____.
the back
The body and back of the tongue can also be referred to jointly as the _____.
the dorsum
Each point at which the airstream can be modified to produce a different sound is called _____.
a place of articulation
_____ are found at the lips, within the oral cavity, in the pharynx, and at the glottis.
places of articulation
These sounds are articulated with both lips.
bilabial
The lower lip makes contact with the upper teeth.
labiodental
In these consonants, the tip of the tongue is placed between the upper and lower teeth.
interdental
In these consonants, the tip of the tongue touches the base of the upper front teeth as in /t/ and /d/.
dental
In these consonants, the tongue touches or approaches the alveolar ridge, the area just behind the upper teeth.
alveolar
The area just behind the alveolar ridge is usually called _____.
palato-alveolar, postalveolar or
prepalatal
The obstruction or constriction is formed between the alveolar ridge and the hard palate, as in chico (boy).
prepalatal
The articulation of _____ involves raising or touching the hard palate with the tongue body (also called dorsum), as in yo (I) and ñandú (rhea).
palatals
_____ are articulated by the back part of the tongue touching or approaching the soft palate (also called velum), e.g. jabón (soap) and carbón (carbon).
velars
The noise in the production of this sound comes from the glottis, the space between the two vocal cords (also called the vocal folds).
glottal
What type of consonant sound is produced by completely stopping the airflow in the vocal tract and then releasing it suddenly, creating a small burst of sound?
stops (also known as plosives)
_____ means there is no vocal cord vibration.
voiceless
_____ means that vocal cords vibrate.
voiced
Produced by closing both lips and then releasing the air. (stops)
[p] and [b]
Produced by placing the tongue against the upper teeth or the roof of the mouth and then releasing the air. (stops)
[t] and [d]
Produced by closing the back of the tongue against the soft part of the roof of the mouth (the velum) and then releasing the air. (stops)
[k] and [g]
What type of consonant sound is produced by forcing air through a narrow constriction, creating a continuous, turbulent sound?
fricatives
Made by placing the top teeth on the bottom lip. (fricatives)
[f] and [v]
Made by placing the tongue close to the roof of the mouth, just behind the teeth. (fricatives)
[s] and [z]
Made by placing the tongue a bit further back in the mouth. (fricatives)
[sh] and [zh]
Made by placing the tongue between the teeth. (fricatives)
[th] and [dh]
What type of consonant sound begins with a complete closure of the vocal tract, like a stop, and then transitions into a fricative sound?
affricates
There are two main affricates in English.
[ʧ] and [ʤ]
This sound is made by stopping the airflow completely, like a stop, and then releasing it into a fricative.
[ʧ] (as in “ch”)
This sound is produced in a similar manner to [ʧ], but it is voiced, meaning the vocal cords vibrate as the sound is made.
[ʤ] (as in “j”)
_____ are sounds produced by allowing the airflow to
pass through the nose while the mouth is closed or
partially closed.
nasals
These sounds are unique because they require the velum (the soft part of the roof of the mouth) to lower, directing the airflow through the nasal cavity.
nasals
Made by closing the lips, as in “man,” “mother,” and “room.” (nasals)
[m]
Produced by placing the tongue against the alveolar ridge (just behind the upper front teeth), as in “no,” “night,” and “sun.” (nasals)
[n]
Formed by placing the back of the tongue against the soft palate (velum), as in “sing,” “long,” and “think.” (nasals)
[ŋ]
_____ are a type of sound produced when the airflow through the vocal tract is relatively open, but not as free as in vowels. They are characterised by their smooth, flowing quality, which contrasts with the more obstructed sounds like stops and fricatives.
liquids
Known as the lateral liquid. This sound is made by placing the tongue against the alveolar ridge (the bony ridge behind the upper front teeth) and allowing air to flow around the sides of the tongue.
[l]
Referred to as the rhotic liquid. The production of this sound involves the tongue curling slightly towards the roof of the mouth or touching the roof without creating a complete closure.
[r]
_____ are sounds produced with a smooth, continuous
movement of the articulators (like the tongue and lips)
from one position to another.
glides
They are similar to vowels in that they are produced with relatively open vocal tracts, but they function as consonants due to their role in the transition between sounds.
glides
This sound is produced by rounding the lips and raising the back of the tongue towards the soft palate (velum).
[w]
Known as the palatal glide, this sound is produced by raising the middle of the tongue towards the hard palate while keeping the lips unrounded.
[j]
