Phonotactics

&

Coarticulation

Eka Andriyani, S.Pd., M.Hum

PHONOTACTICS (PHONOLOGICAL RULES)

• Phonotactics is a branch of Phonology that

deals with restrictions (official limits) in a

language on the permissible combinations of

phonemes.

• In other words, Phonotactics are the rules that

govern the combinations and ordering of

phonemes in a syllable or a word.

Phonotacticshas a correlation with the syllable

structure (including the

consonant clusters and vowel

sequences) by means of

phonotactical constraints (phonotactical controllers).

Dealing with the syllable, there are some basic

internal segmental structure as follows:

ONSET

NUCLEUS (PEAK)

CODA

The nucleus is obligatory, usually the vowel in the middle of a syllable;

The onset is the optional sound or sounds occurring before the nucleus; and

The coda is the optional sound or sounds that follow the nucleus.

Thus, in the word cat /kæt/, for example, /k/ is the

onset, /æ/ is the nucleus, and /t/ is the coda.

SYLLABLE

ONSET

NUCLEUS CODA

C V C

In the pattern of consonant cluster, the English syllable twelfths [twelfθs], for instance, is divided into the onset /tw/, the nucleus /e/, and the coda /lfθs/, and its phonotactic can be described as CCVCCCC

twelfths [ twelfθs ]

CC V CCCC (phonotactic)

O N C (syllable structure)

In addition, commonly, in English and most other languages, a word that begins with a vowel is automatically pronounced with an initial glottal stop, whether or not a glottal stop occurs as a phoneme in the language.

Example: up /ʌp/ is supposed as /ʔʌp/

Thus, in the initial-vowel word above, the glottal stop /ʔ/ is called a null onset.

One phoneme pattern V I [aɪ], oh [əʊ]

Two phoneme patternVC

CV

On [ɒn], it [ɪt]

Be [bi:], see [si:]

Three phoneme pattern

CVC

CCV

VCC

Dog [dɒg], cat [kæt]

Tree [tri:], ski [ski:]

Its [ɪts], eats [i:ts]

Four phoneme pattern

CCVC

CCCV

VCCC

CVCC

Slab [slæb], bread [bred]

Straw [strɔ:]

Asked [ɑ:skt]

Desk [desk], fist [fɪst]

Five phoneme pattern

CCVCC

CCCVC

CVCCC

Sponge [spʌndʒ]

Street [stri:t], stress [stres]

Selves [selvz]

Six phoneme pattern

CCCVCC

CCVCCC

CVCCCC

Strand [strænd], sprint [sprɪnt]

Stamps [stæmps]

Sixths [sɪksθs]

Seven phoneme patternCCCVCCC

CVCCCCC

Scramble [skræmbl]

Twelfths [twelfθs]

Here are some examples of phonotactics of the English words:

COARTICULATION:

Coarticulation is the overlapping of adjacent articulations. -(Ladefoged, 1993:55)-

Coarticulation is the influence of the target phoneme on surrounding phonemes.-(Linda I. House, 1998:141)-

In other words, coarticulation is the secondary articulations of a phoneme.

In English, actually, many consonants

have unique qualities.

However, we will only discuss about the

following particular consonants in detail:

a. / ɹ /

b. / l /

c. / ŋ /

/ɹ/

“R” varies more in

pronunciation than any

other consonant in the IPA.

During the Old English period (449 – 1100 A.D), the /r/ was used by most speakers. This sound was carried into Middle English (1066 A.D) and is still used in British-English nowadays.

• In American-English, according to IPA (1949), the R with right tail / ɽ / or the lowercase R (/r/) were used by most speakers. Those symbols were transcribed in broad transcription (the transcription that is often used to draw a transcription that uses a simple set of symbols) as / r /.

NOTE: (A.D stands for Anno Domini (Latin) means “the time of our Lord”--in the

Christian calendar, means since the birth of Jesus Christ.

The / ɹ / becomes voiceless in a CCV

syllable when preceded by a voiceless

stop such as:

/ p / in ‘pry’ [ pɹaɪ ] ;

/ t / in ‘trim’ [ tɹɪm ] ; or

/ k / in ‘crow’ [ kɹəʊ ]

The / ɹ / also becomes voiceless in a CCV

syllable when preceded by a voiceless

fricative such as:

/ f / in ‘free’ [ fɹi: ] ;

/ ʃ / in ‘shrink’ [ ʃɹɪŋk ] ; or

/ θ / in ‘thread’ [ θɹed ]

Variation of /ɹ/ in the Syllables

Consist of Diphthong /aɪ/ or /aʊ/

When the diphthongs /aɪ/ and /aʊ/ are combined with / ɹ /, there are two kinds of pronunciation.

The word ‘fire’, for example, could be pronounced as

[faɪə(r)] or [faɪɹ], and ‘flower’ as [flaʊə(r)] or [flaʊ(r)].

[aɪ] or [aʊ] + [ɹ])

The vowel /i/ variations and /e/ can be

combined with the /ɹ/ by changing the /ɹ/

into /ɚ/ (rhetoric sound) and placing an

approximant /j/ between the vowel and

the “r” variation.

Examples:

‘player’ [plejɚ] → [plejɹ] → [pleɪə(r)]

‘dear’ [dɪjɚ] → [dɪjɹ] → [dɪə(r)]

OTHER “r”

PHONEMESSymbols: Kinds of Articulation Types: Used in:

/ r / voiced alveolar trill LOWER-CASE R Spanish

/ R / voiced uvular trill SMALL CAPITAL R French

/ ɾ / voiced alveolar tap FISH-HOOK R Spanish

/ ɽ / voiced retroflex tap R WITH RIGHT TAIL Nigerian

/ ʁ / voiced uvular fricativeINVERTED SMALL

CAPITAL RFrench

/ ɹ / voiced alveolar/retroflex approximant TURNED-LEGGED R

Dialects of

American-

English

Note: In general English pronunciation, /ɹ/ is transcribed in broad transcription as /r/.

/l/ The / l / phoneme is the only lateral approximant

consonant, and it varies significantly based on its position in the word.

The voiced lateral approximant / l / is pronounced clearly when it is close to the beginning of the syllable, such as in ‘light’ [laɪt], ‘leaf’ [li:f], ‘black’ [blæk], ‘lose’ [lu:z].

When the / l / is close to the end of the syllable, it is

not pronounced clearly (often called a “dark l”), as in

‘milk’ [mɪlk], ‘full’ [fʊl], ‘pool’ [pu:l].

When vowels /i/, /u/ variations and diphthongs /eɪ/,

/aʊ/, /aɪ/, and /ɔɪ/ are combined with the final /l/,

the word can often be pronounced as monosyllabic

or supposed as bisyllabic by the adding of the

approximant /j/ or /w/ plus schwa (/ə/).

Examples:

‘feel’ [fi:l] → [fi:jəl]

‘cool’ [ku:l] → [ku:wəl]

‘fail’ [feɪl] → [fejəl]

‘tile’ [taɪl] → [tɑ:jəl]

‘boil’ [bɔɪl] → [bɔ:jəl]

‘fuel’’ [fjʊəl] → [fjʊwəl]

/ŋ/

Because of the nasal coarticulation and

phonological rules, the /ŋ/ can only be combined with the /ɪ/, /e/, /æ/, /ɒ/, and /ʌ/ in British-English.

When pronouncing those vowels followed by

the /ŋ/, the quality of the vowels may sound different than they would in other contexts because of the influence of nasality.

Examples:

‘sing’ [sɪŋ]

‘length’ [leŋθ]

‘bank’ [bæŋk]

‘long’ [lɒŋ]‘sung’ [sʌŋ]

In the English language, the /ŋ/ is only found in medial and final positions.

Examples:

‘language’ [læŋgwɪdʒ]

‘song’ [sɒŋ]