Phonetics is the
scientific study of sounds used in language: how the sounds are produced, how
they are transferred from the speaker to the hearer and how they are heard and
perceived. The Sounds of Language provides an accessible, general introduction
to phonetics with a special emphasis on English.[1]
The Sound-Producing
System
Phonetics consists of the study of
speech sounds, and involves the creation and production of sound by the human
voice. There are several components that combine to produce speech sounds.
These include articulators, or movements of the mouth. Speech organs, such as
the respiratory system, assist in producing speech and auditory phonetics. The
human voice can create many speech sounds, which vary by language. The English
language has 13 vowels and 24 consonant sounds; which vary by dialect.
Articulatory System
The articulatory
system includes the nose, mouth, tongue, teeth, the roof of the mouth and lips.
These structures work together to produce phonetics. Air streaming through the
nose, and the tongue touching behind the front teeth, creates the sound for the
letter "n." Closed lips produce sounds such as "p" by air
pushing out. Specific movements and placements of these components create
different sounds.
Respiratory
System
Speech organs also
work in cooperation with the articulators for sound production. An example is
the respiratory system or lungs, chest muscles, and the windpipe that operates
with the larynx. The larynx at the top of the windpipe has two vocal folds or
cords, which work like lips. Air from the lungs, coordinating with the chest
muscles, opens and closes the vocal cords by vibration, producing phonetic
sounds. The respiratory system is complex, containing many structures that work
in coordination to produce phonetics.
Auditory
System
The auditory
system involves the perception or understanding of phonetic sounds. As a baby
begins to recognize sounds, she begins to babble. Babies first babble vowel
sounds such as "a" or "e." As a mother repeats sounds to
her child, phonetics grow and develop. Typically, intelligible speech
production begins between 18 and 48 months. As children develop speech sounds
they will string sounds into words, and eventually sentences.[2]
VOICED AND VOICELESS SOUNDS
There are 26 letters in the English
alphabet, but there are 39 sounds (15 vowel sounds and 24 consonant sounds)
produced by these letters. (see vowel and consonant sections).
A vowel
is a sound where air coming from the lungs is not blocked by the mouth or
throat. All normal English words contain at least one vowel.
The vowels are:
A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y.
'Y'
can also behave as a consonant when it is at the beginning of a word.
A
consonant is a sound formed by stopping the air flowing through the mouth.
The consonants are:
B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z
All the sounds produced in the
English are either voiced or voiceless. Voiced sounds occur when the vocal
cords vibrate when the sound is produced. There is no vocal cord vibration when
producing voiceless sounds. To test this, place your finger tips hand on your
throat as you say the sounds. When saying the voiced sounds, you should be able
to feel a vibration. When saying the voiceless sounds you sound not be able to
feel a vibration.
Sometimes it is very difficult to
feel the difference between a voiced and voiceless sound. Another test may
help. Put a piece of paper in front of your mouth when saying the sounds- the
paper will should move when saying the unvoiced sounds.
All vowels in English are voiced.
Some of the consonant sounds are voiced and some are voiceless. Some of the
consonant sounds produced in English are very similar. Many times the
difference between them is because one is voiced and the other is voiceless.
Two examples are 'z', which is voiced and 's', which is voiceless. See the
chart below for a listing of the voiced and voiceless consonants.[3]
·
Voiced consonants sounds; B, d, g,
v, z, th, sz, j, l, m, n, ng, r, w, y.
·
Voiceless consonant sounds; p, t,
k, f,s,th,sh,ch,h.
PLACES
AND MANNERS OF ARTICULATION
|
MANNER OF ARTICULATION
|
|
|
Plosive
|
A complete closure is made somewhere in the vocal tract, and the soft
palate is also raised. Air pressure increases behind the closure, and is then
released ‘explosively’.
|
|
Affricate
|
A complete closure is made somewhere in the mouth, and the soft
palate is raised. Air pressure increases behind the closure, and is then
released more slowly than in plosive.
|
|
Fricative
|
When two vocal organs come close enough together for the movement of
air between them to be heard.
|
|
Nasal
|
A closure is made by the lips, or by the tongue againts the palate,
the soft palate is lowered, and air escape through the nose.
|
|
Lateral
|
A partial closure is made by the blade of the tongue againts the
alveolar ridge. Air is able to flow around the sides of the tongue.
|
|
Approximant
|
Vocal organs come near to each other, but not so close as to cause
audible friction.
|
|
PLACE OF ARTICULATION
|
|
|
Bilabial
|
Using closing movement of both lips.
|
|
Labio-dental
|
Using the lower lip and the upper teeth.
|
|
Dental
|
The tongue tip is used either between the teeth or close to the upper
teeth.
|
|
Alveolar
|
the blade of the tongue is used close to the alveolar ridge.
|
|
Palato-alveolar
|
The blade (or tip) of the tongue is used just behind the alveolar
ridge.
|
|
Palatal
|
The front of tongue is raised close to the palate.
|
|
Velar
|
The back of the tongue is used againts the soft palate.
|
|
Glotall
|
The gap between the vocal cords is used to make audible friction.
|
VOWELS
A
speech sound which is produced by comparatively open configuration of the vocal
tract, with vibration of the vocal cords but without audible friction, and
which is a unit of the sound system of a language that forms the nucleus of a
syllable. Contrasted
with consonant. A letter representing a vowel
sound, such as a, e, i, o, u.[4]
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