Phonetics Flashcards
Articulatory phonetics
how speech sounds are produced; transcribing sounds
Acoustic phonetics
physical properties of speech sounds; acoustic analysis
Perceptual phonetics
Audition/vision; processing
Phonetics
physical description; more gradient, sounds as continuous objects
Phonology
sounds as abstract/symbolic units; more discrete; sounds patterns, properties of sound systems
Consonant
obstruction of airstream; articulators make constrictions in the vocal tract at various places of articulation
Vowels
no obstruction of airstream; tongue and lips make constrictions, responsible for vowel quality
Larynx
“voice box”; cartilage, muscle, connective tissue
Vocal fold
small muscular folds that can vibrate
Glottis
space between vocal folds
Possible states of vocal folds
Closed (glottal stop), close together (vibration: voicing), open (no vibration: voiceless)
Possible states of velum
Raised (closed): blocks off nasal cavity (oral sounds)
Lowered (open): allows air to travel through nasal cavity (nasal sounds)
Three articulatory parameters
Voicing + place of articulation + manner of articulation
Bilabial
Lower lip and upper lip (ex. [p], [b] [m])
Labiodental
Lower lip and upper teeth (ex. [f], [v])
Interdental
Tongue tip and upper teeth (ex. [θ], [ð])
Alveolar
Tongue tip/blade and alveolar ridge (ex. [t], [d], [s], [z], [n], [l])
Alveopalatal
Tongue blade and back of alveolar ridge (ex. [ʃ], [ʒ])
Palatal
Front of tongue and hard palate (ex. [j])
Velar
Back of tongue and velum (ex. [k], [g], [ŋ])
Glottal
Larynx and glottis (ex. [h])
Stop
complete oral closure; airstream fully obstructed
Fricative
narrow opening; turbulent airflow
Affricate
closure, then friction
Nasal
Velum lowered; airflow through nasal cavity, oral cavity generally closed
Approximant (Liquid)
Constriction doesn’t block airstream or cause turbulence
Glide (Semivowel)
a type of approximant with little constriction; almost a vowel
Tap/Flap
Quick contact between articulators (single strike)
Trill
Quick contact between articulators (several strikes)
IPA
International Phonetic Alphabet; transcribes all sounds of the world’s language (one symbol, one sound)
Vowel parameters
Tongue height (high, mid, low), tongue backness (front, central, back), lip roundedness (rounded, unrounded), tenseness (tense, lax)
Tense vowels
tongue root presses forward into body of tongue
