BM3Introduction to English Linguistics

Part II

Session 2: Phonetics

Who am I?

Rebecca Carroll, M.A.

Contact options:

• Stud.IP• A 10 1-103 / phone 0441-798 3181• Email: rebecca.carroll@uni-oldenburg.de

All information can be found on my homepage:

www.staff.uni-oldenburg.de/rebecca.carroll

Literature

Fromkin, V., Rodman, R., Hyams, N. (2006). An Introduction to Language. 8th ed. Wadsworth.

Roach, P. (2000). English Phonetics & Phonology – A Practical Course. 3rd ed. Cambridge: CUP.

Ladefoged, P. (2006). A Course in Phonetics. 5th ed.

Hanke, J. & Intemann, F. (2000). The Interactive Introduction to Linguistics. CD ROM. Version 2.0. München: Hueber.

See Handapparat for further introductory books

Any Questions So Far?

• Organizational• Concerning the lecture• Concerning this class

Overview: Where are we?

• Phonetics/ Phonology • Morphology• Syntax• Semantics• Pragmatics• Applied Linguistics

(Historical Linguistics, Sociolinguistics, Textlinguistics, Psycholinguistics, Neurolinguistics, Computational Linguistics, …)

major areasof (theoretical) linguistics

Phonetics – The Art of Articulation

What organs are involved when we produce sounds?

• Airstream mechanisms• Phonation• Vocal tract • Articulators• Tongue

Phonetic Description of Sounds

• Phonation• Place of articulation• Manner of articulation• Lip rounding

Places of Articulation:the Vocal Tract

Places of Articulation:the Tongue

Places of Articulation:Vowels

Places of Articulation: Consonantal Chart

Places of Articulation:Consonantal Chart

InternationalPhoneticsAssociation

Manners of Articulation

• Plosive• Fricative• Nasal• Approximant• Trill• Lateral• Flap/ tap

Co-articulation and Other Nuissances

A sound can be slightly altered in anticipation of the following sound, so that the articulators have to „work less“. e.g.

• Lips of an unrounded vowel (or consonant) can be slightly rounded in anticipation of a labial consonant

• Vowels preceding a nasal are typically slightly nasalized as well

Transcription issues:

• The length of a vowel is also transcribed /uː/ as in ‚two‘

• Usually, you will also find stress marks: primary stress /ˈ/ as in /əˈbəʊt/ and secondary stress /ˌ/ as in /ˌlɪŋˈɡwɪs.tɪks/

Your Turn!

Name the articulators/ vocal organs in the figures.

Your turn!

Listen to the sounds and write down the phonetic properties referring to

Manner of articulation Place of articulation Lip rounding Tongue position (front/ back/ high/ low)

Your turn!

Determine the sound of the following sound-descriptions and find an example word which contains that sound.

e.g. /b/ as in bat

voiced velar plosive unrounded close-mid front v.

voiceless bilabial plosive rounded open back vowel

voiced alveolar nasal neutral mid central vowel

voiceless labiodental fricative rounded close-mid back v.

voiced labio-velar approximant unr. open(-mid) front vowel

voiced alvolar lateral rounded open-mid back v.

voiceless glottal fricative unrounded close-mid front v.

(Brief) Description of Articulatory Actions of the Word „Ship“

1. Starting point: normal breathing (how?)

2. Blade of tongue is raised against in the post-alveolar region of the hard palate; lips are slightly rounded.

3. Lungs are compressed to produce an egressive pulmonic airstream; air escapes through a passage along the center of the tongue causing friction.

4. Vocal fold vibration begins; tongue is lowered and moved to a high front position; lips are rounded.

5. Lips are closed to form a closure in the vocal tract; air is compressed, voicing ceases.

6. Release of compressed air by opening mouth, air escapes.7. Lung pressure is lowered and the articulators return to normal

(breathing position).

Your turn!

Try to give the same detailed description for the articulation of (one of) the following words:

- this - bee

- those - shoes

- bang - myth

Pay special attention to details such as coarticulation, nasalization, voicing, etc.