Phonetics (1) Slides -Production of Sounds (Vocal Tract)

Question 1

What is the source of sounds?

Answer 1

Lungs and larynx

Question 2

What are the filters of sound?

Answer 2

• Pharynx
• Oral cavity
• Nasal cavity

Question 3

How do lungs contribute to the production of sounds?

Answer 3

• Lungs pump air through the rest of the vocal tract
• Most speech is PULMONIC EGRESSIVE, or involves air living the lungs (Egress = exit, and pulmo is latin for lung)

-Pulmonic ingressive can show up in some accents as a paralinguistic feature
(Newfoundland English “yeah”)

Question 4

What is the Larynx?

Answer 4

The larynx is also known as the “voice box”

-Cartilaginous structure that contains vocal folds

Question 5

What are vocal folds?

Answer 5

Thin sheets of muscle that act as a valve

Question 6

What is the Glottis?

Answer 6

The opening between vocal folds

Question 7

What is “Voicing”?

Answer 7

As air goes through the larynx, the state of the vocal cords affects the quality of sound

-Voiced and voiceless distinction is IMPORTANT in most languages
( /f/ and /v/, /s/ and /z/ )

Question 8

What is “Creaky voice”?

Answer 8

‘Cassava, Brazilian arrowroot, manioc, tapioca, uyuca’

Question 9

Is the pharynx important for english?

Answer 9

• The pharynx is a FILTER
• It is not too important for English
• May be involved in creaky voice, and other sound types not in English (ejectives, implosives)

Question 10

What functions do the oral cavity serve for speech?

Answer 10

It is an articulator

• Tongue
• Lips

Places of articulation

• Lips
• Alveolar ridge
• Palate
• Velum
• Uvula
• Pharynx
• Glottis

Question 11

What functions does the nasal cavity serve?

Answer 11

-Velopharyngeal port opens to allow resonance in naval cavity