Phonetics Vocab

Question 1

Orthographic

Answer 1

The art of writing words with the proper letters according to standard usage. It’s also the representation of the sounds of a language by written or printed symbols.

Question 2

Received Pronunciation

Answer 2

The standard form of British English pronunciation, based on educated speech (social elite) in southern England (1924)

Question 3

Pulmonic

Answer 3

Air coming from the lungs.

Question 4

Egressive

Answer 4

The direction that the airstream is moving during speech (outward).

Question 5

Ingressive

Answer 5

The direction that the airstream is moving during speech (inward).

Question 6

Vocal Tract

Answer 6

A container of air that starts from the top of the vocal folds and goes all the way to the edge of the lips. Speech sounds are shaped in the vocal tract. The major parts include the oral cavity, the nasal cavity, larynx, and the pharynx.

Question 7

Resonating Space

Answer 7

Space for the vibration of air.

Question 8

Alveolar Ridge

Answer 8

A structure that lies directly behind the upper front teeth. It’s considered an important structure in speech because the tongue tip continually touches the ridge to form consonant sounds.

Question 9

Bilabial

Answer 9

Sound formed by closure or near closure of the lips, as in p, b, m, w.

Question 10

Velum

Answer 10

Muscle and connective tissue that forms the roof of the posterior (rear) portion of the oral cavity. [k]

Question 11

Glottis

Answer 11

The part of the larynx consisting of the vocal cords and the opening between them. It affects voice modulation through expansion or contraction. [h]

Question 12

Plosive(s)

Answer 12

Made by completely blocking the flow of air as it leaves the body, normally followed by releasing the air. [p, b, t, d, k, g]

Question 13

Fricatives

Answer 13

A consonant sound that is created by constricting the vocal tract, causing friction as the air passes through it. There are nine of them: f, v, θ, ð, s, z, ʃ, ʒ, h

Question 14

Affricates

Answer 14

Two-part consonant sounds /ʧ/ & /ʤ/. They begin by fully stopping the air from leaving the vocal tract - similar to a stop sound - then releasing it through a constricted opening - similar to a fricative sound.

Question 15

Approximants

Answer 15

Sounds made by bringing two articulators close together without them touching as sound leaves the body. The result is a smooth, vowel-like sound.

Question 16

Voiceless Sounds

Answer 16

Do not use the vocal cords to produce their hard, percussive sounds. Instead, they’re slack, allowing air to flow freely from the lungs to the mouth, where the tongue, teeth, and lips engage to modulate the sound. The consonants include Ch, F, K, P, S, Sh, T, and Th (as in “thing”)

Question 17

Voiced Sounds

Answer 17

Require the use of the vocal cords to produce their signature sounds, thus you feel the vibration of your vocal cords when you say it. This includes the following consonants: B, D, G, J, L, M, N, Ng, R, Sz, Th (as in the word “then”), V, W, Y, and Z.

Question 18

Diphthongs

Answer 18

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. Example: “ow”/“ou” cow, now, flower, cloud, house, loud

Question 19

Monopthong

Answer 19

Sounds which consist of a movement or glide from one vowel to another - no change in quality.

Question 20

Nasals

Answer 20

A consonant whose production involves a lowered velum and a closure in the oral cavity, so that air flows out through the nose.