Phonetics and Phonology: Basic Definitions

Applied Linguistics March 19, 2023

 Phonetics and Phonology: Basic Definitions

by Kalsoom Jahan

English Consonant Sounds



In the English language, a consonant sound is a speech sound that is produced by obstructing or partially obstructing the airflow out of the mouth using the tongue, lips, teeth, and/or palate. Unlike vowels, which are produced with an open vocal tract, consonants are produced by restricting airflow or vibrating the vocal cords while obstructing the airflow.

There are 24 consonant sounds in English, which can be further divided into two categories: voiced and unvoiced. Voiced consonants are produced by vibrating the vocal cords, while unvoiced consonants are produced without vibrating the vocal cords.

Here are the consonant sounds in English:

Unvoiced consonants: /p/, /t/, /k/, /f/, /s/, /θ/, /ʃ/, /h/, /tʃ/, /dÊ’/

Voiced consonants: /b/, /d/, /g/, /v/, /z/, /ð/, /ʒ/, /m/, /n/, /ŋ/, /l/, /r/, /w/, /j/.

Note that some consonant sounds can be spelt with different letters or combinations of letters in English. For example, the /ʃ/ sound can be spelt with "sh" in "shoe" or with "ch" in "chef."

Definitions

Here are three standard definitions for consonant sounds in the English language:

  1. A consonant sound is a speech sound that is produced by obstructing or partially obstructing the flow of air from the lungs through the mouth or nose using speech organs such as the tongue, lips, teeth, and/or palate.
  2. In phonetics, a consonant sound is a speech sound that is produced by the interruption or constriction of airflow within the vocal tract, resulting in the formation of audible noise.
  3. Consonant sounds in English are characterized by the absence of vocal cord vibration or the partial constriction of the vocal tract during their production. They are distinguished from vowel sounds by their noisier, more percussive quality.

Examples

Here are some examples of English consonant sounds, along with their corresponding symbols in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA):

Unvoiced consonant sounds:

  1. /p/ - "pat"
  2. /t/ - "time"
  3. /k/ - "cat"
  4. /f/ - "father"
  5. /s/ - "sun"
  6. /θ/ - "think"
  7. /ʃ/ - "she"
  8. /h/ - "hat"
  9. /tʃ/ - "chair"
  10. /dÊ’/ - " Jam"

Voiced consonant sounds:

  1. /b/ - "bat"
  2. /d/ - "day"
  3. /g/ - "go"
  4. /v/ - "very"
  5. /z/ - "zip"
  6. /ð/ - "the"
  7. /Ê’/ - "pleasure"
  8. /m/ - "man"
  9. /n/ - "no"
  10. /Å‹/ - "sing"
  11. /l/ - "love"
  12. /r/ - "run"
  13. /w/ - "wet"
  14. /j/ - "yes"

Note that some consonant sounds can be spelt with different letters or combinations of letters in English. For example, the /ʃ/ sound can be spelt with "sh" in "she" or with "ch" in "chef."

English Vowel Sounds

  1. A vowel sound is a speech sound that is produced by the free flow of air through the mouth and/or nose without any significant constriction or obstruction of the speech organs. Unlike consonant sounds produced by obstructing or partially obstructing the airflow, vowels are characterized by their open, resonant quality.
  2. In phonetics, a vowel sound is a speech sound that is produced by the vibration of the vocal cords and the positioning of the tongue, lips, and jaw to shape the resonance of the oral cavity. English has 20 vowel sounds, including both monophthongs and diphthongs.
  3. Vowels are one of the two main classes of sounds in English, along with consonants. They are defined by their role as the "nucleus" or core of syllables, around which consonants cluster. In English, vowel sounds are often represented by the letters A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y and W.

Examples:

In English, there are five vowel letters: A, E, I, O, and U. However, the number of vowel sounds is greater than the number of vowel letters. English vowel sounds can be divided into two categories: monophthongs and diphthongs.

  1. Monophthongs are single, pure vowel sounds. There are 12 monophthongs in English:

a. Short vowels:

    • /æ/ as in "cat"
    • /É›/ as in "bet"
    • /ɪ/ as in "bit"
    • /É’/ as in "cot" (American English) or /É”/ as in "cot" (British English)
    • /ÊŒ/ as in "cut"
    • /ÊŠ/ as in "put"

b. Long vowels:

    • /É‘:/ as in "car" (British English) or /É‘/ as in "father" (American English)
    • /i:/ as in "see"
    • /Éœ:/ as in "bird"
    • /É”:/ as in "bought"
    • /u:/ as in "boot"
    • /É™/ as in "sofa" (schwa sound, often found in unstressed syllables)
  1. Diphthongs are complex vowel sounds in which the speaker's tongue moves from one position to another within the same syllable. There are 8 diphthongs in English:
    • /eɪ/ as in "say"
    • /aɪ/ as in "my"
    • /ɔɪ/ as in "boy"
    • /əʊ/ as in "go" (British English) or /oÊŠ/ as in "go" (American English)
    • /aÊŠ/ as in "cow"
    • /ɪə/ as in "here" (British English)
    • /eÉ™/ as in "air" (British English)
    • /ÊŠÉ™/ as in "pure" (British English)

Triphthongs

Standard definitions for triphthongs:

  1. A triphthong is a sequence of three vowel sounds pronounced together within the same syllable, creating a complex, gliding sound. In English, triphthongs are relatively rare and often occur in unstressed syllables.
  2. In phonetics, a triphthong is a type of vowel sound in which the tongue moves gradually from one vowel position to another, creating a glide or transition between three distinct vowel sounds.
  3. Triphthongs are vowel sounds that involve a continuous and smooth movement between three distinct vowel sounds within a single syllable. This contrasts with diphthongs, which involve a transition between two vowel sounds.

These triphthongs are pronounced as a single syllable. Still, their pronunciation involves a gradual shift in tongue position from one vowel to another, resulting in a glide or transition between the three vowel sounds. Triphthongs are relatively rare in English compared to diphthongs and monophthongs but are an important part of the language. They can help to convey meaning and emphasis in spoken communication.

Examples:

Here are some examples of triphthongs in the English language, along with their corresponding symbols in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA):

  1. /aɪə/ - "fire" - This triphthong is pronounced with a gradual shift from the vowel sound /aɪ/ (as in "eye") to the neutral vowel sound /ə/ (as in "a") and finally to the vowel sound /ɹ/ (as in "fire").
  2. /aʊə/ - "hour" - This triphthong is pronounced with a gradual shift from the vowel sound /aʊ/ (as in "out") to the neutral vowel sound /ə/ (as in "a") and finally to the vowel sound /ɹ/ (as in "hour").
  3. /eɪə/ - "layer" - This triphthong is pronounced with a gradual shift from the vowel sound /eɪ/ (as in "say") to the neutral vowel sound /ə/ (as in "a") and finally to the vowel sound /ɹ/ (as in "layer").
  4. /jʊə/ - "cure" - This triphthong is pronounced with a gradual shift from the vowel sound /jʊ/ (as in "cue") to the neutral vowel sound /ə/ (as in "a") and finally to the vowel sound /ɹ/ (as in "cure").
  5. /əʊɪə/ - "royal" - This triphthong is pronounced with a gradual shift from the vowel sound /əʊ/ (as in "go") to the vowel sound /ɪ/ (as in "bit") and finally to the vowel sound /ə/ (as in "a").

Triphthongs are relatively rare in English and often occur in unstressed syllables, but they can add complexity and nuance to the language when used appropriately.

Voicing

Sure, here are three standard definitions for voicing:

  1. Voicing is a phonetic feature of speech sounds that refers to the presence or absence of vibration in the vocal cords during their production. Voiced sounds are produced with vocal cord vibration, while voiceless sounds are produced without vocal cord vibration.
  2. In phonetics, voicing refers to the use of vocal cords to create vibration and sound during the production of a speech sound. This can be contrasted with voicelessness, which involves the absence of vocal cord vibration.
  3. Voicing is a feature of speech sounds that distinguishes between sounds produced with vocal cord vibration (voiced sounds) and those produced without vocal cord vibration (voiceless sounds). This feature is important in many languages, including English, where it is used to distinguish between different consonant sounds.

Examples of voicing in English:

  1. /b/ and /p/: The sound /b/ is voiced, while /p/ is voiceless. The only difference between the two sounds is the presence or absence of vocal cord vibration. For example, "bit" and "bit" are different words in English, with the first containing a voiceless /p/ and the second containing a voiced /b/.
  2. /d/ and /t/: The sound /d/ is voiced, while /t/ is voiceless. Again, the only difference between these two sounds is the presence or absence of vocal cord vibration. For example, "dog" and "tog" are different words in English, with the first containing a voiced /d/ and the second containing a voiceless /t/.
  3. /z/ and /s/: The sound /z/ is voiced, while /s/ is voiceless. As with the previous examples, the only difference between these two sounds is the presence or absence of vocal cord vibration. For example, "zoo" and "soo" are different words in English, with the first containing a voiced /z/ and the second containing a voiceless /s/.

In each of these examples, the presence or absence of vocal cord vibration distinguishes between two different consonant sounds in English and is crucial for conveying meaning in spoken communication.

Aspiration

Sure, here are three standard definitions for aspiration:

  1. Aspiration is a phonetic feature of speech sounds that refers to the presence or absence of a puff of air after the release of a consonant sound. Aspirated sounds are produced with a burst of air, while unaspirated sounds are produced without a burst of air.
  2. In phonetics, aspiration refers to the puff of air that is released when certain voiceless consonant sounds are pronounced. This puff of air is created by the release of pressure that builds up in the mouth during sound production.
  3. Aspiration is a phonetic feature of speech sounds that distinguishes between sounds produced with a puff of air (aspirated sounds) and those produced without a puff of air (unaspirated sounds). This feature is important in many languages, including English, where it is used to distinguish between different consonant sounds.

Examples of aspiration in English:

  1. /p/ and /b/: The sound /p/ is aspirated, while /b/ is unaspirated. This means that when you pronounce /p/, you release a puff of air after the sound, while there is no puff of air after /b/. For example, when you say "pat" and "bat", you should feel a slight burst of air after the /p/ in "pat", but not after the /b/ in "bat".
  2. /t/ and /d/: The sound /t/ is aspirated, while /d/ is unaspirated. When you pronounce /t/, you release a puff of air after the sound, while there is no puff of air after /d/. For example, when you say "top" and "dob", you should feel a slight burst of air after the /t/ in "top", but not after the /d/ in "dob".
  3. /k/ and /g/: The sound /k/ is aspirated, while /g/ is unaspirated. When you pronounce /k/, you release a puff of air after the sound, while there is no puff of air after /g/. For example, when you say "keep" and "geep", you should feel a slight burst of air after the /k/ in "keep", but not after the /g/ in "geep".

In each of these examples, the presence or absence of aspiration distinguishes between two different consonant sounds in English and is crucial for conveying meaning in spoken communication.

Minimal pairs

Sure, here are three standard definitions for minimal pairs, along with examples:

  1. Minimal pairs are pairs of words in a language that differ by only one sound, typically a consonant or a vowel sound. Minimal pairs are important for distinguishing between different sounds in a language and can be used to teach pronunciation and listening skills. For example, "cat" and "bat" are minimal pairs in English, differing only in the initial consonant sound.
  2. In phonetics, minimal pairs are pairs of words that differ in only one phoneme, or sound unit, and have different meanings. Minimal pairs are used to help speakers learn to distinguish between different sounds in a language and can be an important tool for teaching pronunciation and improving listening skills. For example, "ship" and "sheep" are minimal pairs in English, differing only in the vowel sound.
  3. Minimal pairs are pairs of words that are identical in every way except for one sound, typically a vowel or consonant sound. These pairs of words are used to help learners of a language distinguish between sounds that are similar but different and can be an effective tool for improving pronunciation and listening skills. For example, "beach" and "bitch" are minimal pairs in English, differing only in the initial consonant sound.

Minimal pairs are important in language learning because they can help learners identify and correct pronunciation errors and distinguish between different sounds that may be difficult to differentiate. By practising with minimal pairs, learners can improve their ability to perceive and produce subtle differences in sound essential for effective language communication.

 Answer the following question in the comment section. 

1    What is the difference between a voiced and voiceless consonant sound in English, and can you give an example of a minimal pair that demonstrates this difference?


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