LECTURE 1

1. Phonetics vs. Phonology2. Speech Organs3. How are speech sounds produced?

Phonetics

• The study of human speech sounds

• Describes how sounds are produced (articulatory phonetics)

Phonology

• The study of how sounds are organised and used in natural languages

• Studies how these sounds combine and how they change in combination

Questions

Why do small children often mispronounce words?Why do men and women have different voice quality?Name some speech organs/articulators.

A. Nasal cavityB. Vocal cordsC. Tongue rootD. Lips – labialE. Tongue tipF. Pharynx – pharyngealG. Oral cavityH. Tongue backI. Teeth – dentalJ. Tongue bladeK. Hard Palate – palatalL. Tongue frontM. Alveolar ridge – alveolarN. Uvula – uvularO. Velum – Velar (solf

palate)P. LarynxQ. NostrilsR. Glottis S. Epiglottis

1. L. Alveolar ridge 2. A. Nostrils 3. D. Lips 4. A. Nasal cavity5. G. Oral cavity6. I. Teeth 7. K. Hard Palate 8. J.Tongue tipE. Tongue bladeL. Tongue frontH Tongue backC. Tongue root9. B. Vocal cords10. F. Pharynx 11. R. Glottis12. O. Velum (soft palate)13. N. Uvula 14. S. Epiglottis 15. P. Larynx

Alveolar Ridge

Upper Lip

Lower Lip

Teeth

BackFront

Blade

Tip

TONGUE

Hard Palate

Velum or Soft Palate

POSITIONS OF THE SOFT PALATE

The soft palate is raised

The soft palate is lowered

THE VOCAL CORDS

• Vocal cords are pressed together, so they vibrate

• Vocal cords are pulled apart, so they do not vibrate

The glottis

THE PHARYNX

• A tube which begins just above the larynx. It is behind the tongue and reaches up towards the nasal cavity.

• At its top the pharynx is divided into two: the back of the mouth & the beginning of the way through nasal cavity.

HOW ARE SPEECH SOUNDS PRODUCED?

• Air comes up from lungs

• Then it goes through the vocal cords into the pharynx

• It may go through the oral cavity (if the soft palate is raised) or the nasal cavity (if the soft palate is lowered)

• Vocal cords either vibrate or not as air comes out.

• As air goes out, various articulators assume different positions to make different vowel and consonant sounds

HOW ARE SPEECH SOUNDS PRODUCED?

1. How are oral sound produced?

In the process of making sounds, at the uvula if the soft palate is raised, blocking off the nasal tract, the airstream can only go into oral cavity and go out of the mouth, then we have oral sounds.

e.g. /g/,/s/,//

2. How are nasal sounds produced?

In the process of making sounds, if the air-stream is blocked somewhere in the oral cavity but the soft palate is lowered so that air-stream can get into the nasal tract and get out through the nostrils, then we have nasal sounds.

e.g. /m/, /n/, /ŋ/

HOW ARE SPEECH SOUNDS PRODUCED?

3. How are consonant sounds produced?When we are making sounds, it two articulators come together, obstructing the air-stream and the air-stream cannot get out freely, we have consonant sounds.e.g. /k/, /f/, /b/, /m/

4. How are vowel sounds produced?When we are making sounds, if there is no obstruction to the flow of air as it passes from the larynx to the lips and the air can get out freely, the we have vowel sounds.e.g. /…./, /з/, /æ/, /I/

HOW ARE SPEECH SOUNDS PRODUCED?

5. How are voiced sounds produced?When we are producing sounds, the air-stream goes through the vocal cords. If the vocal cords come together, obstructing the air-stream, the air-stream cannot get out through them freely and it makes them vibrate, then we have voiced sounds.e.g. /d/, /v/, /m/

6. How are voiceless sounds produced?When we are making sounds, the air-stream goes through the vocal cords. If the vocal cords come apart, they are open. The air-stream can go out through them freely and it does not make them vibrate, then we have voiceless sounds.e.g. /s/, /t/, /∫/

• What speech organs are involved in making the following sounds?

• /m, tʃ, θ, ŋ, b, v

exercises1. Give the terms corresponding to the definitions- The top, curved horizonal airspace of the vocal tract:

nasal cavity- A short flat stretch just above and behind the upper

teeth: alveolar ridge- Airspace of the vocal tract between uvula and the

larynx: pharynx- The hard, bony surface of the roof of the mouth: hard

palate - Non-bony roof part of the roof of the mouth behind

the hard palate: velum- The two bands or folds inside the larynx: vocal folds