Phonetics and Phonology Fundamentals

Phonetics and Phonology Basics

Phonetics Defined

Phonetics deals with the material or substance of sound. When we make a sound, it is made with a number, a tone, an intensity...

Physical Qualities of Sound

• Tone: High-intensity musical quality, related to articulatory energy.
• Quantity: Term related to time or duration.
• Resonance: Depends on the volume and sounding board, namely, the oral cavity.

Sounds originate in the speech apparatus. Syllables are also studied in phonetics because they are also sound units. Our sound system consists of 19 consonants and 5 vowels. There are more letters than phonemes because a phoneme may represent several letters.

Phonology Defined

Phonology deals with the study of the characteristics that are relevant in each sound (distinctive) for the difference in meanings. The irrelevant features are studied in phonetics.

Relevant Features of Vowels

• Opening: closed (i, u); semi-open (e, o), open (a).
• Location: front (i, e), central (a), back (u, o).

Relevant Features of Consonants

• Point of articulation
• Manner of articulation
• Liquid / Non-liquid

Liquid vs. Non-Liquid Consonants

Liquid: They are very sonorous and can combine with other consonants.

Non-liquids: All others.

Point of Articulation

This is the exact location in the mouth where the sound is made.

1. Lip or Bilabial Sounds: Involving the upper and lower lips. / p / / b /
2. Labiodental Sound: Involving the upper lip resting slightly on the upper teeth. / s /
3. Dental Sounds: The tongue rests on the upper teeth. / t / / d /
4. Interdental Sounds: The tongue is slightly out between the upper and lower teeth. / è / (zeta).
5. Alveolar Sounds: The tongue is supported by the alveoli (the ridge behind the upper teeth). / n / / s / / r /
6. Velar or Guttural Sounds: The tongue is delayed until the soft palate or velum. / k / / g /
7. Palatal Sounds: The tongue is based on the hard palate. / y / / l /

Manner of Articulation

This describes how the air is obstructed or modified as it passes through the vocal tract.

1. Fluid Sounds: Air encounters an obstacle that is not enough to prevent the outflow of air from somewhere in the oral cavity. Sounds are intermediate between vowels and consonants. / l / /l / / r / / r /.
2. Stop (Plosive) Sounds: The articulatory organs are completely shut and suddenly open to let air out. / p / / b /
3. Fricative Sounds: The articulatory organs are narrowed without being completely together, causing friction as air passes out. / f / / e / / s /
4. Affricate Sounds: The articulators close as in a stop, but in the second phase, the air does not come out suddenly but continuously and scraping past those bodies. /? / / Che /
5. Oral Sounds: Air passes only through the mouth (all phonemes except nasals).
6. Nasal Sounds: The air passes in part through the nose. / n / / m /
7. Lateral Sounds: / l / / l /
8. Trill/Tap Sounds: / r / / r /
9. Voiceless Sounds: In their articulation, only the air vibrates; the vocal cords do not vibrate. / p / / t / / r /
10. Voiced Sounds: In their articulation, both the air and the vocal cords vibrate. / b / / d / / and / All vowels are voiced.