Lec 6

• Phonetics


  The study of the general characteristics of speech sounds in a language
• Phonology


  The study of the systems and patterns of speech sounds in a language
• Phonology is concerned with the abstract mental aspect of sounds
• Phonology


  • The set of sounds that allows us to distinguish meaning
  • The variation in one sound according to the context
  • Sound patterns (clusters and syllables)
• Segmental phonology


  Analyses speech into discrete segments, such as phonemes, and studies the phonological rules that govern the way sounds function in a language
• Suprasegmental phonology


  Analyses features which extend over the segment, such as stress and intonation
• Importance of stress and intonation


  • The difference in meaning between a noun and a verb for the word 'important' depending on which syllable is stressed
  • The difference in meaning conveyed by high vs low intonation for the word 'right'
• Segment


  The smallest unit in a language that cannot be divided into smaller units
• Phoneme


  The meaning-distinguishing sound unit in a language
• The complete set of phonemes in a language is called the phonemic system of this language
• Minimal pairs


  Two words (or more) that are identical in form except for a contrast in one phoneme, in the same position in each word
• Allophones


  • The different realizations of a phoneme in different phonetic contexts
  • They do not change the meaning of a word
  • They are all very similar to one another
  • They occur in phonetic contexts different from one another
• Complementary distribution


  The separation of places where particular realizations can occur
• Phonemic principle


  • Two or more sounds are realizations of the same phoneme if they are in complementary distribution and are phonetically similar
  • Two or more sounds are realizations of different phonemes if they serve to signal semantic contrast and are in parallel (overlapping) distribution
• Phonemic transcription


  Transcription using phonemes
• Phonetic transcription


  Transcription using more accurate phonetic detail
• Allophonic rules for English consonants


  • Velarized [ɫ]: The lateral /l/ is velarized after a vowel or before a consonant at the end of a word
  • Glottalized [ʔ]: Voiceless stops /p, t, k/ can be glottalized when they are followed by a consonant word-medially or word-finally
• Allophonic rules for English vowels


  • Nasalized [~]: Vowels are nasalized when followed by a nasal consonant
  • Pre-fortis Clipping: Vowels are shortened when followed by a voiceless consonant
• Other allophonic rules


  • Devoiced [ɫ]: Approximants /l, r, w, j/ are partially or fully devoiced when they occur after initial voiceless stops /p, t, k/
  • Voiced stops /b, d, g/ are partially devoiced when they occur word-initially and fully devoiced when they occur word-finally
  • Aspirated [h]: Voiceless stops /p, t, k/ are aspirated syllable-initially
  • Syllabic [.]: Nasals and laterals are syllabic at the end of a word when they come immediately after an obstruent
  • Labialized [w]: Consonants are labialized when their production involves lip rounding, followed by rounded vowel sounds
  • Dentalized [ɫ]: Alveolars are dentalized before dental consonants