Phonetics Flashcards
Phonetics
The study of characteristics of speech sounds
International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
An alphabetic system of phonetic notation based on Latin
Received Pronunciation’ (RP)
The proper term to describe the regionally neutral accent used by many middle-class speakers in the UK, particularly in England
Vocal tract
The area from the nose and the nasal cavity down to the vocal cords deep in the throat
Articulators
any vocal organ that takes part in the production of a speech sound
Place of articulation
In articulatory phonetics, the place of articulation of a consonant is a location along the vocal tract where its production occurs. It is a point where a constriction is made between an active and a passive articulator.
Bilabial sounds
Sounds involving both lips
Alveolar
relating to the particular speech sound made when the human tongue tip touches the roof of the mouth near the front teeth or the teeth ridge directly behind them
Labio-dentals
made with the lips and teeth, for example f and v
Inter-dental
situated or placed between the teeth
Palato-alveolar
articulated with the blade or tip of the tongue approaching or touching the alveolar ridge and the main body of the tongue near the hard palate
Palatal sound
a consonant sound produced by raising the blade, or front, of the tongue toward or against the hard palate just behind the alveolar ridge
Velar sound
made by the tongue touching the velum
Glottal place
Produced by air passing from the windpipe through the vocal cords
Manner of articulation
is the configuration and interaction of the articulators when making a speech sound
Fricatives
denoting a type of consonant made by the friction of breath in a narrow opening, producing a turbulent air flow
Affricates
a phoneme which combines a plosive with an immediately following fricative or spirant sharing the same place of articulation
Liquids
a consonant sound in which the tongue produces a partial closure in the mouth, resulting in a resonant, vowel-like consonant
Glides
speech sounds where the airstream is frictionless and is modified by the position of the tongue and the lips
Approximants
a sound that is produced by bringing one articulator in the vocal tract close to another without, however, causing audible friction
Vocal cords
folds of membranous tissue that project inward from the sides of the larynx to form a slit across the glottis in the throat, and whose edges vibrate in the airstream to produce the voice
Glottis
the part of the larynx consisting of the vocal cords and the opening between them. It affects voice modulation through expansion or contraction
Rounded
the production of a sound with the lips rounded
Unrounded
To change (a vowel) so that it is no longer round
Diphthongs
a sound formed by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable, in which the sound begins as one vowel and moves toward another
Monophthong
a vowel that has a single perceived auditory quality
