Phonetics

Question 1

sound spectrograph

Answer 1

equipment that generates spectrograms from speech input.

Question 2

impressionistic phonetic transcription

Answer 2

a method of writing down speech sounds with the intent of capturing how they are pronounced (e.g., by using a phonetic alphabet). Usually based simply on how the sounds are perceived when heard without any special analysis.

Question 3

co-articulation

Answer 3

the adjustment of articulation of a segment due to the influence of a neighboring sound(s).

Question 4

monosyllabic

Answer 4

consisting of only one syllable.

Question 5

diphthongs

Answer 5

a complex vowel, composed of a sequence of two different configurations of the vocal organs.

Question 6

larynx

Answer 6

cartilage and muscle located at the top of the trachea, containing the vocal folds and glottis; commonly referred to as the voice box.

Question 7

vocal tract

Answer 7

the entire air passage above the larynx, consisting of the pharynx, oral cavity, and nasal cavity.

Question 8

subglottal system

Answer 8

the part of the respiratory system located below the larynx.

Question 9

bilabial (speech sounds)

Answer 9

sound produced by bringing both lips together.

Question 10

labiodental (speech sounds)

Answer 10

sound produced by making contact between the lower lip and the upper teeth.

Question 11

interdentals (speech sounds)

Answer 11

sound produced by positioning the tip of the tongue between the upper and lower teeth.

Question 12

alveolar (speech sounds)

Answer 12

sound produced by raising the front of the tongue toweard the front of the upper alveolar ridge.

Question 13

fricatives

Answer 13

sound made by forming a nearly complete obstruction of the airstream so that when air passes through the small passage, turbulent airflow (i.e., frication) is produced

Question 14

affricates

Answer 14

sound produced by complete obstruction of the airflow followed by a slight release of the obstruction, allowing frication. An affricate can be thought of as a combination of a stop and a fricative.

Question 15

static palatography

Answer 15

experimental method that displays the contact resulting from a single articulatory gesture between the tongue and the hard palate.

Question 16

dynamic palatography

Answer 16

experimental method that tracks the contacts and contact patterns between the tongue and the hard palate over time.

Question 17

uvula

Answer 17

the small fleshy mass that hangs down at the back of the throat; used to produce uvular consonants.

Question 18

pharynx

Answer 18

the part of the oral tract above the larynx and behind the uvula. Commonly referred to as the throat.

Question 19

glottalization

Answer 19

the production of a speech sound with creaky voice or with a simultaneous glottal stop.

Question 20

intonation

Answer 20

commonly refers to the pattern of pitch movements across a stretch of speech such as a sentence. The meaning of a sentence can depend in part on the intonation contour of the sentence.