Unit 5Phonetics and Phonology

Phonetics

• Sounds produced by the human speech organs are called the “phonic/auditory medium”

• Phonetics is the study of the phonic medium; it deals with the physical part of speech; it describes and classifies speech sounds and their characteristics

Three branches of phonetics

• Articulatory phonetics – investigates and classifies production of speech sounds by speech organs

• Acoustic phonetics – transmission of the speech sounds through sound waves from speaker to hearer

• Auditory phonetics – perception and identification of speech sounds by the hearer’s ear and brain

Basic division of sounds:VOWELS vs. CONSONANTS

• Vowels: produced without any obstruction or restriction of the airstream

• Consonants: produced by temporarily obstructing or restricting the airstream as it passes through the mouth

Phonology

• Phonology is one part of the study and description of language systems; phonology draws upon the findings of phonetics

• Phonology deals with sound systems of particular languages

Phonology

• Phonetics: all the people have the same speech organs, the same production and perception of sounds

• Phonology: every particular language has its own selection of voices as well as its features