What is phonetics?
Phonetics (from the Greek word phone meaning 'sound, voice') is the study of human speech sounds.
What are the branches of phonetics?
Phonetics has three main branches. Articulatory phonetics concerned with the positions and movements of the lips, tongue, vocal tract and folds and other speech organs in producing speech; acoustic phonetics, concerned with the properties of the sound waves and how they are received by the inner ear; and auditory phonetics, concerned with speech perception, principally how the brain forms perceptual representations of the input it receives.
What is forensic phonetics?
Forensic phonetics is a branch of phonetics that deals with speaker identification and analysis of recorded speech.
What is the function of vocal cords?
Vocal cords are two lip-like muscular structures found within the larynx. When the air is pushed out, vocal cords can adapt different positions—from wide open to tightly closed. When vocal cords are spread apart, air passes between them effortlessly. When they are drawn together, they vibrate as air is pushed out through them, making the sound voiced.
This close-up view of the trans-nasal fibreoptic stroboscopy exam by Dr. Christopher Chang shows the conchae in the nasal cavity, he cricoid cartilage and arytenoid cartilage, connected to these are the cricoarytenoid muscle and the thyroarytenoid muscle, the epiglottis (the thing that looks a bit like a tongue) , vocal folds (the bits that actually vibrate), the glottis (the space between the vocal cords) and a bit of the trachae. Video of an exam performed on a patient to evaluate the vocal cords using stroboscopy. (click here). The vocal cords actually vibrate hundreds of times faster than you can see here. The strobe lights just create the illusion of the slow movement!
What is a voiced sound?
If vocal cords vibrate during the production of a sound, the sound will have a ‘buzz’ effect to it. Such sounds are called voiced sounds. Sounds like /z/, /v/ etc. are voiced sounds.
What is a voiceless sound?
If the vocal cords do not vibrate during the production of a sound, the sound is called voiceless sounds. Sounds like /s/, /f/ are voiceless sounds.
What is IPA?
IPA stands for International Phonetic Association. It has formulated the guidelines about describing and transcribing speech sounds in different languages. It recognizes more than 100 distinctive phonemes. The symbols it uses for transcription are called international Phonetic Alphabet.
How do we describe a sound?
Consonant sounds are described by means of 1) the place of articulation, 2) the manner of articulation, and 3) the position of the vocal cords. Vowel sounds are described by 1) the height of the tongue, 2) the part of the tongue that is raised, 3) the length of the vowel, and 4) the shape of the lips.
What are the places of articulation?
The place of articulation refers to the point of contact between the active and passive vocal organs involved in the production of a sound. Many positions can be adopted. In English there are nine different places of articulation: Bilabial, Labiodentals, Dental, Alveolar, post-alveolar, Palato-alveolar, Palatal, Velar, and Glottal
Explain a bilabial sound.
Bilabial sounds are produced when both lips touches each other for articulation. The bilabial sounds in English are /p/, /b/, and /m/.
Explain labio-dental sounds
Labio-dental sounds are produced when lower lip touches the upper teeth for articulation. The labio-dental sounds in English are /f/ and /v/.
Explain dental sounds
Dental sounds are produced when the tip of the tongue comes in between the teeth for articulation. The dental sounds in English are // and /δ/.
Explain alveolar sounds
Dental sounds are produced when the tip of the tongue touches the alveolar ridge for articulation. The alveolar sounds in English are /t/ and /d/.
Explain post alveolar sounds
Post-alveolar sounds are produced when the tip of the tongue touches the region immediately behind the alveolar ridge for articulation.
Explain palate-alveolar sounds
The palate-alveolar sounds are produced when the front of the tongue touches both alveolar ridge and palate for articulation.
Explain palatal sounds
Palatal sounds are produced when the front of the tongue touches the hard palate for articulation. The only palatal sound in English is /j/ .
Explain velar sounds
Velar sounds are produced when the back of the tongue touches the soft palate (vellum) for articulation. E.g. /k/, /g/
Explain glottal sounds
Glottal sounds are produced at the vocal cords. (Glottis is the gap between the vocal cords.) The only glottal sound in English is /h/.
What is meant by the manner of articulation?
Manner of articulation refers to the manner in which a sound is produced. It refers to how the airstream is modulated, the stricture used and the cavity used for the air to escape.
Explain plosive sounds
Plosive sounds are produced when air is stopped at a point in the oral passage, and is released suddenly with an explosive sound. Examples in English are: /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, and /g/. These are also called stops.
Explain fricative sounds
Fricative sounds are made when air released slowly through a narrow passage with an audible friction. E.g.: /f/, /v/, / /δ/, /s/, /z/, /∫/
Explain affricate sounds
Affricate sounds are made when air is stopped at a point in the oral passage, and the air pressure is slowly released through a narrow gap. .
Explain nasal sounds
Nasal sounds are made when air is released through the nose during articulation.
Explain approximant sounds
Approximants are consonant sounds which share some qualities of vowel sounds. They are produced without much stricture in the oral passage. Examples of approximants in English are: /j/, /r/, /l/, /w/, and /h/.
What is a flap?
Flap is produced when the tip of the tongue is thrown against the alveolar ridge for an instant. When some people pronounce ‘writer’ as ‘rider’, they make a flap.
What is a vowel?
A vowel is a sound in the production of which the vocal tract is open and there is no build-up of air pressure above the glottis. The word ‘vowel’ comes from the Latin word vocalis, (speaking), because speech are not possible without vowels. Monophthongs are vowel sound whose sound quality do not change over the duration. They are also called "pure" or "stable" vowels.
What is a diphthongs and triphthongs?
A vowel sound that glides from one quality to another is called a diphthong (boy), and a vowel sound that glides between three qualities is a triphthong (flower).
