PHONETICS

MODULE 2
What is Phonetics?
Phonetics is the branch of linguistics that studies the sounds of human speech. It focuses on how sounds
are produced (articulated), transmitted (acoustic properties), and perceived (auditory aspects). Phonetics
helps in understanding the physical properties of speech sounds and their use in communication.
Phonetics is not about the meaning of the sounds (that is the domain of phonology) but about the sounds
themselves—how they are made, heard, and transmitted.

Classifications of Phonetics
Phonetics can be classified into three main branches:
[Link] Phonetics
[Link] Phonetics
[Link] Phonetics
1. Articulatory Phonetics
Articulatory phonetics deals with how speech sounds
are produced by the movement of various speech
organs, such as the lips, tongue, vocal cords, and
palate.
Key Components:
•Speech Organs: Lips, teeth, alveolar ridge, palate,
tongue, uvula, glottis, and vocal cords.
•Manner of Articulation: How the airflow is controlled
and modified.
•Place of Articulation: The location in the vocal tract
where the sound is produced.
Examples:
•/p/ (as in "pat") is a bilabial plosive because the lips
come together to block the airflow.
•/f/ (as in "fish") is a labiodental fricative, produced
by placing the lower lip against the upper teeth.
Acoustic Phonetics
Acoustic phonetics is concerned with the physical properties
of speech sounds as they travel through the air. It studies
sound waves produced by speech, such as their frequency,
amplitude, and duration.
Key Components:
•Frequency (Pitch): The rate at which the vocal cords vibrate.
•Amplitude (Loudness): The strength of the sound wave.
•Waveform: A graphical representation of the sound's
amplitude over time.
Examples:
•High-pitched sounds like the /s/ in "see" have higher
frequency waves.
•Low-pitched sounds like the /m/ in "mat" have lower
frequency waves.
3. Auditory Phonetics
Auditory phonetics focuses on how speech sounds are heard and
perceived by the listener. It examines how the ear processes sound
waves and how the brain interprets these sounds as speech.
Key Components:
•Perception of Pitch and Loudness: How listeners distinguish between
different pitches (high/low sounds) and loudness.
•Sound Discrimination: The ability to differentiate between similar
sounds, such as /p/ and /b/.
•Phoneme Identification: Recognizing distinct sounds (phonemes) in
a stream of speech.
Examples:
•The ability to distinguish between the sounds /b/ and /p/ in "bat"
and "pat."
•Recognizing the difference between rising and falling intonation in
questions and statements.
Phonetic Transcription
Phonetic transcription involves representing the sounds of
speech using symbols. The International Phonetic Alphabet
(IPA) is commonly used for this purpose.
•Example:
• The word "cat" is transcribed as /kæt/
• The word "phone" is transcribed as /fəʊn/
Importance:
•Helps in understanding pronunciation.
•Provides accurate sound representation of words, aiding in
correct speech.

English Pronunciation
English pronunciation can vary based on accent, region, and
individual speaker. There are specific rules governing how
consonants and vowels are pronounced.
•Vowel Sounds:
• There are 20 vowel sounds in English (12 pure vowels
and 8 diphthongs).
•Consonant Sounds:
• English has 24 consonant sounds.
 PHONETIC CHART

IN CROME

LINK OF PHONOTIC SOUNDS IN YOUTUBE TYPE: PHONOTIC TRANSCRIPTION

Consonants: Vowels:
[Link] (p, t, k, b, d, g): [Link] (pure vowels):
1. These are formed by blocking airflow and then releasing it. 1. Example: "sit" /sɪt/, "cat" /kæt/
2. Example: "pot" /pɒt/ (voiceless), "bat" /bæt/ (voiced) [Link] (gliding vowels):
[Link] (f, v, θ, ð, s, z, ʃ, ʒ): 1. Example: "face" /feɪs/, "boy" /bɔɪ/
1. Formed by constricting airflow to create friction.
2. Example: "fish" /fɪʃ/, "vision" /ˈvɪʒən/
[Link] (tʃ, dʒ):
1. Combination of plosives and fricatives.
2. Example: "church" /tʃɜːtʃ/, "judge" /dʒʌdʒ/
[Link] (m, n, ŋ):
1. Air flows through the nose.
2. Example: "man" /mæn/, "sing" /sɪŋ/
[Link] (l):
1. Air flows around the sides of the tongue.
2. Example: "lamp" /læmp/
[Link] (r, j, w):
1. Minimal constriction, airflow isn't blocked.
2. Example: "red" /rɛd/, "yes" /jɛs/
Sounds Often Mispronounced Syllables and Structure
1./θ/ and /ð/ (TH sounds): •Syllables: A syllable is a unit of sound, typically consisting of a
1. Many non-native speakers pronounce /θ/ as /t/ vowel sound with or without surrounding consonants.
or /s/. • Example: "but-ter" (2 syllables), "ap-ple" (2 syllables)
2. "think" /θɪŋk/ might be pronounced as "think". Structure:
2./v/ and /w/: •Monosyllabic words: Have one syllable. Example: "cat".
1. "van" /væn/ and "wan" /wæn/ are often •Polysyllabic words: Have more than one syllable. Example:
confused. "banana" (3 syllables).
3./ɪ/ and /iː/:
1. Short and long vowels like in "sit" /sɪt/ and "seat"
/siːt/.
Silent and Non-Silent Letters
[Link] Letters:
1. Certain letters in words are not pronounced, though
they are written.
2. Example: "knife" /naɪf/ (silent k), "island" /ˈaɪlənd/
(silent s)
[Link]-Silent Letters:
1. All letters are pronounced.
2. Example: "cat" /kæt/
What is the correct IPA transcription for the What is the place of articulation for the sound /k/ in the word
word "laugh"? "kite"? A) DentalB) AlveolarC) VelarD) Glottal
•A) /læf/
•B) /laɪf/ Answer: C) Velar
•C) /leɪf/
•D) /lʌf/
Which of the following words has a diphthong sound?
Answer: A) /læf/ A) "bit"B) "bat"C) "bite"D) "sit"

Which symbol represents the initial sound in the Answer: C) "bite" (diphthong /aɪ/)
word "phone"?A) /p/ B) /f/ C) /v/ D) /θ/
What is the difference in IPA transcription between "ship" and
Answer: B) /f/ "chip"?
•A) /ʃɪp/ and /ʃip/
•B) /ʃɪp/ and /ʧɪp/
What is the correct IPA transcription for the word "thought"?
A) /tɔt/B) /θɔt/C) /ðɔt/D) /tʌt/ •C) /ʧɪp/ and /ʤɪp/
•D) /sɪp/ and /tʃɪp/

Answer: B) /θɔt/ Answer: B) /ʃɪp/ and /ʧɪp/