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L103: Introduction to Linguistics

Phonetics—vowels

Last time ...

● Consonants

Today ...

● vowels● syllables

Vowel Articulation

• Manner = vowel• Glottal state = voiced (generally)• Place = ????• Make this sequence of vowels, and feel how your

tongue moves around in your mouth: i u e o a æ• Place for vowels requires us to locate our tongues

inside the oral cavity, even though it’s not touching anything…

Vowels

Vowel Space

Apex of Tongue

The VOWEL SPACE is

divided into a grid, based

on the position of the highest,

most front part of your tongue

as you pronounce that vowel

The Vowel Space

i

e

æ

Ʌ oɛ

ʊ

Ͻ

u

a

ɪ

The Vowel Space

i

e

æ

Ʌ o

ɪ

ɛ

ʊ

ɔ

u

a

(ROUND)

(LAX)

(TENSE)

(UNROUND)

Other sound properties - diphthongs

• Some vowels are made up of more than

one ‘part’

• For example, ‘buy’, ‘bough’, ‘boy’

• [baɪ], [baʊ], [boɪ]– or [baj], [baw], [bɔj]– or [bai], [bau], [boi]

• The term for these is ‘diphthong’

Diphthongs

i

e

æ

Ʌ o

ɪ

ɛ

ʊ

ɔ

u

a

bai

boi

baʊ

([w])([j])

A weird fact

i

e

æ

Ʌ o

ɪ

ɛ

ʊ

ɔ

u

a

ə

Other sound properties - length

• Finnish: [taka] ‘back’ [takka] ‘fireplace’ [ta:kka] ‘burden’

• [taka] ‘back’ vs [takka] ‘fireplace’– (the notation [kk] indicates a ‘long’ [k])– (‘long’ means, literally, longer – more milliseconds -

than a short sound)

• [takka] ‘fireplace’ vs. [ta:kka] ‘burden’– (the notation [a:] indicates a ‘long’ [a])– (some linguists write long vowels like this [aa] instead

of this [a:])

• Not all languages use length differences in their phonemic inventory

Other sound properties - tone

Syllables

• Arrangements of consonants and vowels

• Arrangements of things based on their acoustical energy (sonority)

• Vowels > Liquids > Nasals > Fricatives > Plosives/Stops (Sonority Hierarchy)

Parts of a syllable

[d a g] “dog”

SYLLABLE

RIME/Rhyme

ONSET NUCLEUS CODA

C V C

The “NUCLEUS” can also be called the “PEAK”

Ideal Sonority contour

|||||||||||||||||||||||

SYLLABLE

RIME

ONSET NUCLEUS CODA

C V C

How many syllables?

• Cow [kaʊ]• Easy. 1. CVV• Cowboy [kaʊboɪ]• Still easy. 2. [kaʊ.boɪ]CVV.CVV• Cowabunga [kaʊəbʌŋgə]• Easy to count (tap it out)• 4. But - harder to parse!• [kaʊ.ə.bʌŋ.gə] or [ka.wə.bʌŋ.gə]?• CVV.V.CVC.CV or CV.CV.CVC.CV

Syllable Restrictions● Every naturally occurring human language (we

think) allows this kind of syllable: CV● Only some languages allow syllables to begin

with vowels (=onsetless syllables)● Only some languages allow syllables to end with

consonants (=closed syllables)● Some co-occurrence restrictions:

– If you allow CVC and V, you’ll also allow VC– If you allow CVCC, you’ll also allow CVC– If you allow CCCV, you’ll also allow CCV

Syllable restrictions

• Hawaiian: the only kind of syllable is CV– Therefore, all words will begin with a consonant, AND– All words will end with a vowel, AND– There will never be more than 2 consonants in a row

inside of a word

• English: In addition to CV, we allow onsetless syllables [aj], and closed syllables [dag].– We also allow consonant clusters in onset and coda

The Maximal English Syllable?

● strengths [strɛŋkɵs]● CCCVCCCC● If CCCV, the first consonant is an [s], and

the third is a liquid or glide [r, l, w, j]● [splɪts], [skwɪʃ], [skju]● If VCCCC, the last consonant is an [s] or a

[t], and it’s an affix (plural or past tense)● [siksɵt] ‘I sixthed it’

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