Vocab: Module 2

Question 1

Phonetics

Answer 1

the study and classification of speech sounds.

Question 2

constants

Answer 2

something that stays the same : something that does not change.

Question 3

vocal tract

Answer 3

the cavity in human bodies and in animals where the sound produced at the sound source

Question 4

pharyngeal areas

Answer 4

the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, and above the oesophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs).

Question 5

articulators

Answer 5

a configuration of the vocal tract

Question 6

alveolar

Answer 6

Refers to phonetic sound that is heard when pronouncing a word with an alveolar consonant within it.

Question 7

bilabial

Answer 7

a type of sound in the group of labial consonants that are made with both lips (bilabial) and by partially stopping the air coming from the mouth when the sound is pronounced (consonant)

Question 8

plosives

Answer 8

is a pulmonic consonant in which the vocal tract is blocked so that all airflow ceases.

Question 9

fricatives

Answer 9

produced by bringing the mouth into position to block the passage of the airstream

Question 10

nasals

Answer 10

speech sound in which the airstream passes through the nose as a result of the lowering of the soft palate (velum) at the back of the mouth

Question 11

vocal cords

Answer 11

are folds of tissue in the throat that are key in creating sounds through vocalization

Question 12

glottis

Answer 12

the elongated space between the vocal cords also : the structures that surround this space

Question 13

manner of articulation

Answer 13

is the configuration and interaction of the articulators (speech organs such as the tongue, lips, and palate) when making a speech sound

Question 14

diphthongs

Answer 14

a gliding vowel in the articulation of which there is a continuous transition from one position to another.

Question 15

monophthong

Answer 15

Is a pure vowel sound, one whose articulation at both beginning and end is relatively fixed, and which does not glide up or down towards a new position of articulation.

Question 16

semi-vowels

Answer 16

is a sound that is phonetically similar to a vowel sound but functions as the syllable boundary, rather than as the nucleus of a syllable.

Question 17

approximants

Answer 17

a sound that is produced by bringing one articulator in the vocal tract close to another without, however, causing audible friction (see fricative).

Question 18

affricates

Answer 18

a consonant sound that begins as a stop (sound with complete obstruction of the breath stream) and concludes with a fricative (sound with incomplete closure and a sound of friction).

Question 19

plosives

Answer 19

is a pulmonic consonant in which the vocal tract is blocked so that all airflow ceases.

Question 20

International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).

Answer 20

an alphabet developed in the 19th century to accurately represent the pronunciation of languages.