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Phonology: Analyzing the Sounds of Language. Introduction to Articulatory Phonetics: Vowels. Types of Phonemes. Phonologists distinguish between three main categories of phonemes: consonants, vowels , and diphthongs.
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Phonology: Analyzing the Sounds of Language Introduction to ArticulatoryPhonetics: Vowels
Types of Phonemes • Phonologists distinguish between three main categories of phonemes: consonants, vowels, and diphthongs. • As a speaker makes a vowel sound, the vocal tract is unobstructed and air leaves the lungs in a constant stream: /ɑ/, /æ/, /e/, /ɛ/, /ɪ/, /i/, /ʊ/, /u/,/o/, /ɔ/, /ə/. • Vowels are “sonorants”
Voicing: All vowels are voiced • IPA symbol chart in voiced/voiceless pairs. • Describes the vibration of the vocal cords. • Like a rubber band you can stretch taut or leave loose: if taut, it vibrates as air goes through it; if loose, it doesn’t.
Vowels • Vowels are described in two dimensions along with two additional properties: height, frontness/backness, and rounding, tenseness/laxness. • The “vowel quadrangle” mimics the position of the tongue in the mouth when a speaker articulates the vowel.
Using the Vowel Quadrangle • The Vowel Quadrangle can help you visualize the position of your tongue when you speak. • /æ/ is a low, front, unrounded vowel ‘pat’
Vowel Quadrangle pete Pooh pit put Poe pate pet paw putt pot pat
Diphthongs In a diphthong, the vowel sound begins at one position and “glides” to another position. You can actually feel your jaw move as you make the sound. eye; out; boy
Phonemes and Allophones • Allophones are alternate, non-contrastive outcomes of the same phoneme. For example, how do you pronounce “Trenton”? [-ɪn] vs [-Ən] • For example, PDE speakers may use a variety of [r] sounds, but we hear “red” whether a speaker says [rƐd] or [ɹƐd]