Phonetics and Phonology

Question 1

Acoustic Phonetics

Answer 1

The branch of phonetics that studies the physical properties of speech sounds. 138

Question 2

Allomorphs

Answer 2

A variation in the form of a linguistic unit that does not alter its basic identity-varients of a morpheme.

Question 3

Allophones

Answer 3

A variation in the form of a linguistic unit that does not alter its basic identity-variants of a phoneme.
Ex: ‘p’ at the beginning of a word ‘p’ot is plosive, while at the end is almost unvoiced like u’p.’

Question 4

Alphabet

Answer 4

A writing system in which a set of symbols (‘letters’) represents the phonemes of a language. 212

Question 5

Articulatory Phonetics

Answer 5

The branch of phonetics that studies the way speech sounds are produced by the vocal organs. 130

Question 6

Aspiration

Answer 6

Audible breath that may accompany the articulation of a sound. 169

Question 7

Assimilation

Answer 7

The influence exercised by one sound upon the articulation of another, so that the sounds become more alike.
Progressive and regressive.

Question 8

Auditory Phonetics

Answer 8

A branch of phonetics that studies the way people perceive sound. 148

Question 9

Cognate

Answer 9

A language or linguistic form that is historically derived from the same source as another, e.g. Spanish and French are ‘cognate languages’, both deriving from Latin. 302

Question 10

Complementary Distribution

Answer 10

A property of sounds that cannot appear in the same phonetic environment. 169

Question 11

Consonants

Answer 11

A speech sound that functions at the margins of syllables, produced when the vocal tract is either blocked or so restricted that there is audible friction. 163

Question 12

Diphthong

Answer 12

A vowel in which there is a perceptible change in quality during a syllable (time, road) 162

Question 13

Free Variation

Answer 13

The substitution of one sound for another without causing any change of meaning. 169

Question 14

Logogram

Answer 14

A symbol that represents a word (as in Chinese) 210

Question 15

Minimal Pairs

Answer 15

Words that differ in meaning when only one sound is changed. 168

Question 16

Obstruent

Answer 16

Sounds made with a constriction (plosives, fricatives, affricates) 165

Question 17

Phoneme

Answer 17

The smallest contrastive unit in the sound system of a language. 168

Question 18

Phonetics

Answer 18

The science of speech sounds, esp. of their production, transmission, and reception. 158

Question 19

Phonology

Answer 19

The study of the sound systems of languages. 168

Question 20

Phonotactics

Answer 20

The specific sequences of sounds that occur in a language. 168

Question 21

Pictograms

Answer 21

A symbol used in picture writing. 207

Question 22

Sonorants

Answer 22

A voiced sound made with a relatively free passage of air ([l] [n]).165

Question 23

Stress

Answer 23

The degree of force with which a syllable is uttered; syllables may be stressed or unstressed in various degrees. 177

Question 24

Syllabic

Answer 24

Said of a consonant that can be used alone as a syllable (/l/ in bottle). 172
Said of a writing system in which the symbols represent syllables. 211

Question 25

Vowel

Answer 25

A sound made without closure or audible friction, which can function as the centre of a syllable ([e], [i]). 159