Intro to Ling

(Articulatory) Phonetics

Articulatory phonetics = the study of how speech sounds are articulated (i.e. made), and

what “articulators” (organs) are used to create specific sounds.

All speech sounds result from the air from the lungs (허파) coming up the trachea (i.e.

the windpipe 숨통) and obstructed (or modified) in the mouth-nose area. There are 3

processes:

- the airstream process

- When you exhale, the air comes out of the lungs, and this is the source for

all sounds in English and Korean. The exhaled air comes up the trachea.

- the phonation process

- At this step, the air that comes up reaches the larynx (i.e. voicebox 발성기관). In

the voice box, there are two bands of muscle (근육) called “the vocal cords or the

vocal folds” (성대). These bands can be pulled together or apart.

- When they are pulled apart, the air can pass through easily, because there’s

a wide space for the air to pass (this space is called “the glottis”). The sounds

that come out are called “voiceless” sounds.

- When they are pulled together, the air cannot pass through easily, because

the opening is very small. So, the air has to squeeze through. This squeezing

of the air causes the vocal cords to vibrate (very fast, and repeatedly). The

sounds that come out are called “voiced” sounds.

- the oral-nasal process

- After passing the larynx, the air comes up the pharynx. It can either go

through the mouth (i.e. oral cavity), OR through the nose (i.e. nasal cavity).

- If the velum/uvula is raised, this will block the air from going into the nasal

cavity. You will have oral sounds. In the mouth, there are several organs that

can modify the air, such as the teeth, different parts of the tongue, the palate,

etc. (see a list of articulators on the PPT file)

- But if the velum/uvula is lowered, the air can pass through the nasal cavity,

and you’ll have nasal sounds.

The larynx (from above)

Vocal cords apart, glottis wide open Vocal cords drawn together, glottis narrow

�Voiceless sounds � voiced sounds

Consonants

A: Give the phonemic symbol for the following descriptions:

1) A voiced bilabial stop

2) A voiced alveolar fricative

3) A voiced velar nasal

4) A voiced palatal glide

5) A voiceless alveolar fricative

B: A description of the articulation of English consonants mentions three features---

voicing, place and manner of articulation, e.g. /m/ is a voiced bilabial nasal. Describe the

following symbols:

1) /k/

2) /tʃ/

3) /ʒ/

4) /w/

5) /ð/

C: Identify each sound

1) The lips are together, the velum is lowered, the sound is voiced and the air passes out

through the nose. This sound is ___________

2) The tip of the tongue is placed on the alveolar ridge. The sides of the tongue are

against the sides of the hard palate. The soft palate is raised. The pressure of air builds up,

and when the tongue tip is lowered from the alveolar ridge, the air rushes out. The vocal

cords do not vibrate. The sound is _____________

3) This pair of sound is made with the tongue tip near the back of the alveolar ridge,

higher than for /s, z/. The velum is raised so that the air goes out through the mouth. They

are continuous sounds. These sounds are______ and _______.

D. Complete midsaggital section diagram showing the pronunciation of these sounds:

/r/

/θ/

/v/