Ling 221: Midterm #1

Question 0

Three perspectives of examining speech sounds

Answer 0

Production: how sounds are made (ARTICULATORY PHONETICS)
Acoustics: what are the physical properties of speech sounds and how they are transmitted from mouth to ear (ACOUSTIC PHONETICS)
Perception: how the brain sounds are processed by the listener as controlled by the ear/nerves/brain (AUDITORY PHONETICS)

Question 1

What is phonetics?

Answer 1

The science which studies characteristics of human sound making (especially ones used in speech) and provides methods for their description, classification and transcription

Question 2

British phonetician

Answer 2

Henry sweet

Question 3

Uses of phonetics

Answer 3

Language teaching
Speech disorders
Mastering dialects/foreign accents
Forensic linguistics
Etc

Question 4

Name for individual speech sounds

Answer 4

Segments or phones

Question 5

Phonemes

Answer 5

Speech sounds (segments) that carry meaning
Ex: b in bet and p in pet

Question 6

Are pronunciation rules taught or imposed from the outside?

Answer 6

No, they are contained in the grammar (linguistic competence)

Question 7

What are the three parts of the vocal tract where air flows during speech production

Answer 7

1- sub laryngeal vocal tract (lungs and lower respiratory passages)
2- larynx
3- supra laryngeal vocal tract (pharynx, oral cavity and nasal cavity)

Question 8

For vowels, what does open and closed mean?

Answer 8

Open= velum lowered 
Closed= velum raised

Question 9

Hyoid bone is the only bone to…

Answer 9

Not be connected to another bone

Question 10

Different between nasal and nasalized sounds?

Answer 10

Nasal= air only comes out of nasal cavity 
Nasalized= air comes out of both oral and nasal cavities

Question 11

Who founded the international phonetic association and when?

Answer 11

Paul passy in 1886

Question 12

Who created IPA?

Answer 12

Henry sweet

Question 13

What do diacritics represent?

Answer 13

Quality of a sound

Question 14

What are the three principles of IPA for using diacritics?

Answer 14

1- you can use diacritics to represent suprasegments (length/stress/pitch/intonation)
2- you can use them to indicate non-phonemic differences
3- you can use them if applying them helps to avoid the use of new IPA symbols

Question 15

Can there be any contradiction between the IPA principles?

Answer 15

Yes, contradiction can happen between the 2nd (non phonemic differences) and 3rd principle (to avoid creation of new symbols)
If contradiction happens, use 2nd principle (non phonemic differences)

Question 16

Three phases of stop articulation

Answer 16

Closing phase (approach/shutting)
Closure phase (occlusion)
Release phase

Question 17

In a velar stop, what part of tongue is used?

Answer 17

Dorsum (back)

Question 18

In alveolar fricatives, what part of tongue is used?

Answer 18

Blade (s and z)

Question 19

Diaphragms role in speech

Answer 19

It separates chest from abdomen and plays a role in respiration and therefore speech

Question 20

Is the diaphragm relaxed or tense during speech?

Answer 20

Relaxed

Question 21

Alveoli

Answer 21

Attached to bronchi and are responsible for oxygen exchange

Question 22

Trachea

Answer 22

Tube made of cartilage

Leads from larynx

Question 23

Larynx

Answer 23

Made of cartilage and muscle

Sits on top of trachea

Question 24

Two functions of the larynx

Answer 24

BIOLOGICAL: protects the lungs by stopping food particles and liquid from entering the trachea
LINGUISTIC: makes different sounds (voicing, pitch, whisper, etc)

Question 25

Larynx contains what?

Answer 25

The vocal folds (two bands of ligament and muscles) which vibrate during the articulation of vowels and many consonants

Question 26

Space between vocal folds is called?

Answer 26

The glottis

Question 27

Hyoid bone

Answer 27

Sits at the back of the base (root) of the tongue and at the top of the larynx
Brings about muscular interactions between tongue and larynx

Question 28

Larynx is made up of five cartilages called

Answer 28

Epiglottis
Thyroid cartilage
Cricoid cartilage
Two arytenoid cartilages

Question 29

Supra laryngeal vocal tract is made up of two parts

Answer 29

Upper surface: upper lip, upper teeth, alveolar ridge, hard palate, velum, uvula and pharynx
Lower surface: lower lip, tongue, epiglottis

Question 30

Velum (soft palate)

Answer 30

Soft/muscular part of the roof of the mouth
It can be raised and pressed against the back wall of the pharynx (to shut off nasal cavity)
When the velum is lowered=nasal passages open=nasal or nasalized sounds

Question 31

Passage that is open between the nasal and pharyngeal cavities when the velum is lowered

Answer 31

Velar port or velic port

Question 32

What are the two types of transcription

Answer 32

Broad and narrow (has diacritics)

Question 33

Air in fricatives

Answer 33

Partially obstructed by close approximation of articulators = turbulent airflow

Question 34

Characteristics of approximant vowels and consonants

Answer 34

Vowels: airflow not blocked or constructed
Consonants: may not stand allow in syllables

Question 35

What are the two types of liquid approximants?

Answer 35

LATERAL and RHOTIC

Question 36

Five articulatory dimensions of vowels

Answer 36

Height (lower jaw/tongue)
Frontness
Lip-rounding
Tongue root position (changes size of pharynx)
Velic movement (velum lowered=nasal quality)