Phonetics and Phonology

PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY
Mr. Ánh

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PART 1

PHONETICS
Phonetics deals with the physical aspect of
sounds. Phonetic transcription with allophones is
used in this field of study.
The speech organs are the parts of the body that
are used to produce the sounds. The speech
organs consist of:
I- Articulators
They are the movable parts to modify the air
stream to produce different sounds. The
articulators are:
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1. Vocal cords in the larynx:
Where sounds may be produced with vibration
(voiced sounds) or without vibration (voiceless).
The opening between the vocal cords is called
the glottis.
2. Pharynx:
The tube above the larynx. The epiglottis in the
pharynx can be raised or lowered to open or
close the way to the windpipe.

3. Tongue:
The most important articulator because it is
flexible and it can move to different places in the
mouth.
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4. Uvula:
The extreme back of the roof of the mouth. It can
be raised or lowered to open or close the
passage to the nose.
5. Lower teeth (lower jaw):
They are behind the lower lip.
6. Lower lip:
It faces the upper lip. It is flexible and can be
pressed against the upper lip or can be rounded
or spread.

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II- Points of articulation:
The fixed parts on the roof of the mouth towards
which the articulators move to produce sounds.
Points of articulation are:
7. Upper lip: Opposite the lower lip.
8. Upper teeth (upper jaw): opposite the lower lip.
9. Alveolar ridge/tooth ridge/gum: It is between
the upper teeth and the hard palate.
10. Hard palate/roof of the mouth: It is the hard

part of roof of the mouth.
11. Soft palate/velum: It is the soft part of roof of
the mouth.
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III- Diagram of the speech organs:

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Vowels:
- Long: i:

u:

ɜ:

- Short: i

u

e

ɔ:
Ə

a:
„

ʌ ɑ

Dipthongs: ai, ɔi, ei, eƏ, uƏ, IƏ, au, ƏU
Tripthongs: eiƏ

ƏuƏ

aiƏ auƏ ɔiƏ
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Vowels
Close
Open

Front
i:
æ

Back
u:
a:

i) Rounded: u
ii) Spread: i
iii) Neutral: Ə
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Vowels are classified according to 5

standards:
1) Tongue height
- Tongue height is the vertical distance
between the upper surface of the tongue
and palate (= degree of opening of the
mouth).
- The tongue may be raised high, mid or low.
- Correspondingly the position of the jaw
may also be close, mid or open.
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2) Tongue position:
This means the front, central or back of the
tongue is raised or lowered.
3) Lip rounding:
Different shapes and positions of the lips.
They may be rounded, unrounded or
neutral.
4) Muscle tension:
Tenseness in the muscle of the jaw and
throat. The muscles may be lax or tense.
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Short vowels are often lax vowels
meanwhile tense vowels are often long
vowels.
5) Vowel length:
There are:

5 long vowels: i:
u:
ɜ:
ɔ:
a:
7 short vowels: i

u

e

Ə

„

ʌ

ɑ
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Front

i

Close

Back

Central

u

i:

u:

High
Close-mid

e
Ɔ:

ɜ:

Mid
Open-mid

Ɛ

Ɔ

ʌ
Low
Open

ɒ

a:

æ
Unrounded

Rounded
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

/i/ high front unrounded tense vowel
/I / high front unrounded lax vowel
/e/ mid front unrounded lax vowel
/„ / low front unrounded lax vowel
/a/ low back rounded tense vowel
/o/ low back rounded lax vowel
/ɔ/ low back rounded tense vowel
/υ/ high back rounded lax vowel
/u/ high back rounded tense vowel
/ʌ/ mid central unrounded lax vowel

/ Ə/ mid central unrounded lax vowel
/ ɜ/ mid central unrounded tense vowel
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CONSONANTS AND THEIR CLASSIFICATION
A consonant is a sound. In producing it, the air
stream coming from the lungs is stopped,
impeded, constricted or otherwise interfered
within its passage to the outside air.
Consonants are classed as VOICED if they are
produced with vibration of the vocal cords and
VOICELESS if they are produced without
vibration.
CLASSIFICATION OF CONSONANTS:
Consonants are classified according to these
four standards:
1. Places of articulation:
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a) Bi-labial: 2 lips are pressed together.
Ex: /b, p, m/
b) Labio-dental: The upper teeth and lower lip
come close together.
Ex: /f, v/
c) Dental or interdental: The tip of the tongue is
between the upper and lower teeth.
Ex: /θ, ð /
d) Alveolar: The tip of the tongue touches the

alveolar ridge.
Ex: /d, t, l, n, s, z, r/
e) Alveo-palatal: The front of the tongue touches
the part between the alveolar ridge and the hard
palate.
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Ex: /dʒ, tʃ, ʃ, ʒ/
f) Velar: The back of the tongue touches the soft
palate or velum.
Ex: / ŋ, k, g, w/
g) Palatal: The front of the tongue touches the
hard palate.
Ex: /j/
h) Glottal: The sound is produced with a friction
noise in the glottis between the vocal cords. The
glottis opens wide and the sound is voiceless.
Ex: /h/
2. Manner of articulation:
The ways the airstream modifies the organs of
speech.
a) Plosive or stop: The air is stopped, then
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released with an explosive sound.
Ex: /b, p, d, t, g, k/
b) Fricative: The air is constricted, causing
friction when passing through the organs of

speech.
Ex: /v, f, ð, θ, z, s, ʒ , ʃ, h/
c) Affricative: It is the combination of the plosive
and fricative. The air stream is stopped, then
released slowly with friction.
Ex: / dʒ, tʃ/
d) Nasal: The air passes through the nose when
the uvula is lowered.
Ex: /m, n, ŋ/
e) Lateral: The air passes out at both sides of the
tongue.
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Ex: /l/
f) Gliding or semi vowel (consonant) or
approximant: There is a gliding from one
to another with little or no obstruction of
the air stream. The tip of the tongue
approaches the alveolar ridge.
Ex: /w, r, j/
3) Voicing:
There is presence or absence of the
vibration of the vocal cords.
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a) Voiced: When the vocal cords open and
close rapidly: /b, d, v, g, ð, z, ʒ, dʒ, l, m, n,
ŋ, r, w, h, j/

b) Voiceless: When the vocal cords open
wide and there is the vibration of the
vocal cords: /p, t, f, k, θ, s, ʃ, tʃ/
4) Aspiration: /k, p, t/
a) Aspirated: At the beginning of the word.
Ex: Cook, pen, ten
b) Unaspirated: At the end of the word.
Ex: Book, map, hat

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In general, there are 24 consonants in
English: b, d, f, g, h, j, k, m, n, l, p, r, s, t, v,
w, ð, ɵ, ʧ, ʤ, ʃ, ʒ, Z, ŋ.
Place of articulation

Fortis
(Voiceless)
Lenis
(Voiced)

Bilabial
p
b

Alveolar
t
d

Velar
k
g
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