Phonology Flashcards
allophone
variants of the same phoneme [n] and [ṇ]
separate phonemes
speech sounds that distinguish between words in English /n/ and /ŋ/ (win vs. wing)
vowel lengthening
English vowels of all types are automatically lengthened in front of voiced obstruents (oral stops, fricatives, affricates)
[bit] beat [bi:d] bead
these are allophones
minimal pairs
consists of 2 words that differ by only one segment in the same position (sum and sun, sip and zip)
complementary distribution
when 2 sounds occur in non-overlapping environments (/ṇ/ occurs in front of dental consonants like [ð] and [θ] /n/ occurs elsewhere)
near-minimal pairs
contain difference other than the one involving the key contrast, as long as the difference doesn’t involve sounds right next to the contrast (mission and vision)
vowel nasalization
In English, nasal allophones of vowels are found right before a nasal consonant
distribution of two glides
a mid tense vowel in English is predictably followed by a glide that has the same backness and roundness
malapropisms
mischosen words that are phonologically similar to the intended word and have the same number of syllables (emanate for emulate)
3 steps of construction of syllables
nucleus formation, onset formation, coda formation
nucleus formation
each vowel segment in s aword makes up a syllabic nucleus (an N is drawn above then an R for rhyme)
onset formation
the longest permissible sequence of consonants to the life of each nucleus is the onset (O is connected to the sigma)
coda formation
any remaining unassociated consonats to the right of each nucleus forms the coda, it is then associated with the syllable nucleus, making up the rhyme (C is linked to the symbol above them)
open syllable
one not linked to a coda
closed syllable
a syllable with a coda
Sonority requirement
In basic syllables, sonority rises before the nucleus and declines after it
Binarity Requirement
Within basic syllables, each constituent can be at most binary (branching into two) meaning that an onset or coda cant contain more than 2 consonants
word edges
when extra consonats are tacked onto a word they are either at the beginning or end (not middle)
extra consonants
In English, only s can serve as the third consonant in the onset or coda (you have to draw these outside the onset or coda with a branching line)
stress placement
english is sensitive to yllable weight which is determined by the composition of the rhyme
heavy syllable
the ryhme cosnsits of a vowel + either a glide or a consonant (V+G is a complex nucleus)
light syllable
the rhyme consists of just a vowel or of a syllabic consonant (bee)
basic rule for nouns
basic stress rule for nouns with more than one syllable is that stress falls on the penultimate syllable (kidney)
rule for nouns longer than 2 syllables
we find stress on the penultimate syllable if heavy but if not, it falls on the antepenultimate syllable (analysis)
natural classes
groups of sounds with similar properties (obstruents in English they share [-sonorant])
allophonic variation
not simply the substitution of one allophone for another but rather environmentally conditioned change or specification of a feature
major class features
features that repersent the classes, consonant, obstruent, and sonorant
+/-consonantal
+ are sounds that are consonantal, produced with a major construction in the vocal tract (all consonants are + but [h] and [?]
+/-syllabic
sounds that act as syllabic nuclei are + (including syllabic liquids and nasals)
+/-sonorant
all and only those sounds that are “singable” are + including vowels, glides, liquids, and nasals (all obstreunts are -)
manner features
features that repersent manner of articulation
+/-continuant
sounds produced with free or nearly free airflow through the air cavity (vowelsm glides, liquids, and fricatives are +) (nasal and oral stops, and affricates are -)
+/-delyaed release
when the tongue is slower levaing teh roof it is considered a delayed release (affricates like [tʃ] and [dʒ] are +)
+/-nasal
sounds produced with a lowered velum, nasal stops and all nasalized sounds are +
+/-lateral
all and only varietie sof L are +
Laryngeal Features
voicing, aspriation, and glottal condtriction ate all a result of laryngeal activity
+/-voice
all voiced sounds are + all voiceless are -
+/-spread glottis
all aspriated consonants and [h] are +
This feature reflects that aspiration occurs when the vocal folds remain open after the release of a consonants closure
+/-constricted glottis
all sounds made with a closed glottis are + (the only glottal stop in English is [?])
Articulatory Features
identifies the artiuclators that are active in production of particular sounds
Labial
for artuclations involving the lips, displays the +/-round
coronal
for articulations involve the tongue tip or tongue blade
dorsal
for articulations involving the tongue body, this adopts high and back positions
+/-round
a sound produced with the labial articulator may be produced by protruding lips
+/-anterior
all coronal sounds articulated in front of the alveopalatal region are + (anything at or behind the alveopalatal region is -)
+/-strident
all “noisy” coronal frictaives and affricates [s,z,ʒ,dʒ,tʃ] are +, any other fricatives or affricates [ð, θ] are -
+/-high
dorsal consonants (velars and palatals) and vowels produced with the tongue body raised are +
+/-low
vowels produced with the tongue body lowered are + (this feature isn’t needed for consonants in English but may be needed fro uvular or pharengyal sounds)
+/-back
dorsal consonants and vowels produced with the tongue bodu behind the palatal region (hard palate) are +
+/-tense
vowels that are tense are +
+/-reduced
the vowel schwa [ə] is lax and exceptionally brief vowel which makes it [+] (all others are -)
phonological representations
underlying representation - consisting of phonemes and infro about contrasts
phonetic representations
made up of allophones and details about pronounciation
phonological rules
apply to phonological repersentataions to derive the phonetic representation by filling in the various predictable details that contribute to pronounciation
