Phonetics and phonology are two branches of linguistics that focus on speech sounds, but they approach these sounds from different perspectives. Understanding their differences is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of how language works. 1. Physical Production vs. Conceptual Study Phonetics is concerned with the physical production of speech sounds. It examines how sounds are … Read more
Based on the discussion on overlapping and co-articulatory gestures, the rules for English consonantal allophones are summarized here. Note that these are formal statements describing language behavior rather than prescriptive grammar rules. Consonants are longer when at the end of a phrase (e.g., bib, did, don, and nod). Consonants at the end of a phrase … Read more
Coarticulation refers to the phenomenon in which the pronunciation of one speech sound is influenced by the preceding or following sounds. It is a fundamental aspect of human speech production and occurs due to the natural coordination and efficiency of articulatory movements. When we speak, our vocal organs continuously transition between different articulatory positions to … Read more
Phonetic transcription is the visual representation of speech sounds. It allows us to convert sounds of a spoken language into a written symbols that captures the specific sounds produced by speakers. By using phonetic symbols, we can precisely represent individual speech sounds, such as vowels, consonants, and even subtle variations in pronunciation. Phonetic Transcription and … Read more
Phonetics is the study of speech sounds and their production, transmission, and perception. It plays a crucial role in understanding language and communication. Within the field of phonetics, there are various types of sounds that are produced differently by the human vocal apparatus. In this article, we will explore three specific types of sounds: trills, … Read more
The IPA is a course from which even a non-native speaker of English language can pronounce every word of English as a native speaker does. There is no need for regular classes for this course but it is a unique type of course and it is very short but some people think that only those … Read more
What are Articulatory Gestures? In order to fully describe a sound mechanism of a language, we need to know about moments by articulators during the speech production. The movement of articulators is known as articulatory gestures. Let us explore major articulatory gestures in English language sounds system. There are two types of articulators that play … Read more
Manner of Articulation As we know that speech-sound is made when we make obstruction to the flow of the air. The level of obstruction varies from slight obstruction to full obstruction. Usually, vowel makes very little obstruction, while consonant makes high or complete obstruction. The manners of obstruction in speech sound are known as the … Read more
Introduction to English Vowel Sounds English RP (BBC) accent has 44 sounds including consonants and vowels. Out of 44 sounds, 20 sounds are vowel sounds and 24 sounds are consonants. Out of 20 vowel sounds, 12 sounds are pure vowels or monophthong and 8 sounds are diphthong. Monophthong sounds  There are 12 pure vowel sounds … Read more
What is Phonetics? Phonetics is the scientific study of language sounds. It does not study an individual language; rather it studies language sounds in general. It is one of the important branches of linguistics, which deals with the study of speech sounds. Phonetics is concerned with the nature of language and communication. Phonetics is pronounced … Read more