LIN 3201 Sounds of Human Language

1. LIN 3201 Sounds of Human Language Sayers -- Week 1 – August 29 & 31

2. What is Phonetics? • Study of human speech sounds: • Describing and classifying human sounds • Understanding production of sounds • Comparing and contrasting sounds across languages • Discovering constraints and limitations of possible human speech

3. Purposes of Phonetic Investigation • Modifying or correcting pronunciation of second language students or actors • Understanding dialectal differences and historical changes in pronunciation • Assisting those with speech disorders

4. Forensic analysis of speech in law • Discovering the phonemic system of a language – the way native speakers organize and perceive sound

5. 3 Fields of Phonetics 1. Articulatory Phonetics • Physical properties of sound – how sounds are produced in the vocal tract 2. Acoustic Phonetics • Sound as a wave – air compression and disturbance as sounds are released

6. 3. Auditory Phonetics • Interpretation and reception of speech sounds • (Forensic Phonetics) • Application of all fields to analyze legal data

7. Phonetics and LIN 3201 4 Goals: • Understanding of the possible modifications of sound as it travels through vocal tract • What does our body do to produce a given sound? • Representation of sounds by a phonetic alphabet • Recognizing IPA symbols • Understanding the physical properties each represents

8. Production of sounds • Your actual practice in physical production • Perception of sounds • Your practice in observation and perception • A thorough understanding of phonemes and sound system organization

9. A few caveats about sound…

10. Or, Why Phonetics is so hard… Adapted from Hardman 1996

11. Sound and Perceptions – Some Basics • Sound is a wave – a fluid flow of “chaos”

12. We attempt, as humans, to organize, shape and structure these waves into meaningful units

13. <<<BUT>>> Sound, as a physical event, does not repeat itself

14. This means that… • You individually organize sounds based on the structures of your native language(s) & the languages you have studied • Native language(s) act as filter; don’t “hear” phonetic distinctions; don’t hear phonetics directly

15. SO Phonetics is hard because… • You are attempting to “observe” what your brain has worked against “observing”

16. In theoretical terms… • Humans perceive through repetition • Any actual repetition is a function of your human capacity, not of “sound” itself

17. Therefore… • Keep in mind that your phonetic transcriptions are not “absolute reality” • At best, transcriptions are approximations

18. The IPA • International Phonetic Alphabet • One symbol represents individual elements of speech sound • Serves as shorthand device for unique set of characteristics in vocal tract

20. Consonants • Columns • front of mouth back of mouth • Rows • Greatest stricture  least stricture

22. Vowels • Columns • front of mouth back of mouth • Rows • Least open  most open

23. Articulatory Phonetics How sounds are produced by modifying air through vocal tract

24. 4 Processes in producing sounds • Airstream mechanism • State of Glottis • Manner of Articulation • Place of Articulation (Consonants) OR Tongue & Lip Position (Vowels)

25. Active articulators

26. Active articulators – speech organs, generally at the top of the mouth, that move toward the upper mouth to modify air Organs & Adjectives Lower lip - labial Tongue - lingual Tip - apical Blade - laminal Back - dorsal Root - radical Epiglottis - epiglottal Anatomy

28. Passive articulators – speech organs, generally at the bottom of the mouth, that generally remain inactive during speech Organs & Adjectives Upper lip - labial Upper Teeth - dental Alveolar Ridge – alveolar Hard Palate – palatal Soft Palate (velum) – velar Uvula (uvular flap) - uvular

29. General Diagram of Vocal Tract

30. Other Speech Organs Organs & Adjectives Pharynx – pharyngeal Glottis – glottal Larynx – laryngeal Vocal Folds/Cords Oral Cavity Nasal Cavity Lungs