Download PHONETICS

PHONETICS
Introduction
PHONETICS
Definition: The scientific study of speech.
 Speech?
 Represents words and other units of language.
 There are some sounds we can identify easily
enough and some sounds are difficult. (E.g nonpulmonic sounds)
 Scientific?
 To measure as accurately as possible and give an
agreed terminology

EXAMPLE
WHISTLE LANGUAGE

http://www.lemondesiffle.free.fr/presentation_eng
/languessifflees.htm
PHONETICS
Concerned with:
 The characteristics of sounds that occur in
language
 Interested in:
 1. Description of sounds
 2. Classification of sounds; [p] voiceless, bilabial,
stop

PHONETICS
3. Transcription of words:
 To write words according to how you hear them.
 It is a method of writing down speech sounds in a
systematic and consistent way

DIFFICULTIES FROM LEARNING A NEW
LANGUAGE
After puberty it is difficult to learn a new
language, so we have to learn it at an early age.
 There will be difficulties arising from second
language interference.
 English?
 (R.P) received pronunciation, which is the
pronunciation of the educated speakers of the
English language.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPELLING AND
SOUND
1. Different letters may represent a single sound:
 [ too, two, threw, shoe]
 2. A single letter may represent different sounds:
 [dad, father, call, many]
 3. A combination of letters may represent a
single sound:
 [shoot, character, theater, physics]

CONTINUE
4. Some letters are silent:
 [knife, whole, lamb, island, castle]
 5. Some sound are not represented in the
spelling:
 [cute]

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPELLING AND
PRONUNCIATION
C pronounced /s/ when followed by the
letters [e-i-y]:
 [cell, city, cycle]
 C pronounced /k/ when followed by the
vowel [o-a-u]:
 [cold, cab, cub]
 G pronounced / / when followed by [e-y]:
 [gem, gym]

CONTINUE (VOWELS)
at/ ate
 At: short vowel sound
 Ate: long vowel sound
 rid/ ride
 not/ note
 * If an a is followed by an e, the a becomes a long
vowel sound

COMMON MISTAKES
1. Substituting one consonant sound for
another:
 [please-blease] [pin- bin]
 2. Delete consonants:
 [price- pice]
 3. Change the length of vowel:
 [this- these]

CONTINUE
4. Substituting one vowel sound for
another:
 [cot-cut]
 5. Misplacing primary stress:
 [E’vent- e ‘VENT]

TRANSCRIPTION
Phonetic transcription is completely separate
from spelling.
 Only symbolize the phonemes.
 Use broad transcription.
 E.g hat / hæt/

INTERNATIONAL PHONETIC ALPHABET
(IPA)
CARDINAL VOWELS
DIPTHONGS
TRANSCRIPTION (CONTINUE)
Homographs: same spelling, different
pronunciation.
 Lead (n.) /led/
 Lead (v.) /liːd/
 Homophones: words pronounced identically
same sound, different spelling, same
pronunciation.
 Rain /reɪn /
I
/aɪ /
 Rein /reɪn /
eye /aɪ /


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