5 Important elements in Phonetics and Phonology

5 Important elements in Phonetics and Phonology

Phonetics and phonology are different but complementary domains in the study of languages and communication. Phonetics on one hand deals with the sound production, as well as the organs or parts of body involved in their production. Phonology on the other hand, studies the various ways the sounds change due to the individual differences, such as culture, geographical location, etc.

Where are sounds produced?

This is a basic question in Phonetics and Phonology, which brings us to articulatory phonetics. Since language comes out through the mouth, it would be a good idea to study the mouth and the parts where each sound is made. Look at the diagram below.

The articulatory organs (the organs of speech)

In the diagram you can see where each consonant sound is produced. We call these areas ‘points of articulation’. The points of articulation to make the sounds of English are the:

• two lips
• teeth ridge (alveolar)
• hard palate
• soft palate (velum)
• nasal cavity
• glottis.

The consonant sounds

Other area concerned by phonetics and phonology is the study of consonants. Each consonant sound has a name, derived from its place and manner of articulation. In the English consonant system there are 24 consonant sounds.

Below are listed all the 24 consonants of English. Because they are not letters but sounds, they are written in-between slanted strokes.

• /p/and/b/
•  /t/ and /d/
• /k/ and /g/
• /f/ and /v/
• /s/ and /z/
• /ʃ/ and /ʒ/
• /ʧ/ and /ʤ/
• /ɵ/ and /ʆ/
• /m/
• /n/
• /ŋ/
• /I/
• /r/
• /h/
• /w/
• /j/

Observe carefully, in a mirror, where each of these sounds is produced and listen to the manner of production. Try to name each consonant sound – their points of articulation and the manner in which they are produced will help you do this. Most of them are in pairs – try sounding them out and note the differences.

Notice that /p/ and /b/ are produced by blocking the air from the lungs at the two lips and then releasing it suddenly. So where do you produce the two sounds? At the two (bi) lips (labials). How are the two sounds produced? By blocking the air with the lips and suddenly releasing it, making a plosive. So from the explanation of the manner and point of articulation, what name would you give to these two sounds? Bilabial plosives.

You can further classify the two bilabial plosives as ‘voiceless’ and ‘voiced’. Sound them again: /p/ is silent or voiceless and /b/ is voiced. Voiceless consonants are produced by tightening the vocal chords (voccoids) in the larynx so that they do not vibrate. With voiced consonants, the voccoids are relaxed and allowed to vibrate.

Plosive consonants can also be classified as ‘fortis’ and ‘lenis’; these are Latin words for strong and weak. Say the sounds /p/ and /b/ again – loudly. What do you feel? When /p/ is sounded, even-the chest moves due to force. So /p/ is fortis (strong) and -/b/ is lenis.

• /t/ and /d/ are alveolar plosives.
• /k/ and /g/ are velar plosives
• /f/ and /v/ are labio-dental fricatives.
• /s/ and /z/ are alveolar fricatives.
• /ʃ/ and /ʒ/ are post or palato-alveolar fricatives.
• /ʧ,/ and /ʤ/ are palato-aiveolar affricates.
• /ɵ/ and /ʆ/ are dental fricatives.
• /m/is a labio-nasal.
• /n/ is an alveolar nasal.
• /ŋ/ is a velar nasal.
• /l/ is a lateral.
• /r/ is a post alveolar approximant.
• /h/ is a glottal fricative.
• /j/ is an approximant or a semi-vowel.
• /w/ is an approximant or a semi-vowel.

The vowel sounds

A phoneme, in simple terms, is a meaningful sound unit. This means that all the sounds listed above are phonemes. Look at the following symbols for vowel sounds.

Group A

• /ɪ/as in pit /pɪt/
• /e/ as in pet /pet/
• /ӕ/ as in man /mӕn/
• /ᴧ/ as in but /bᴧt/
• /ɒ/ as in pot /pɒt/
• /ʊ/ as in put /put/
• /ə/as in about /əbaʊt/

Group B

• /i:/ as in key /ki:/
• /ɑ:/as in car/kɑ:/
• /ɔ:/ as in core /lɔ:/
• /u:/as in cool /ku:/
• /ɜ:/ as in curve /kɜ:v/

Group C

• /eɪ/ as in bay /beɪ/
• /aɪ/ as in buy /baɪ/
• /ɔɪ/ as in boy /bɔɪ/
• /ɪd as in peer /pɪa/
• /ea/ as in pear /pea/
• /ʊa/ as in poor /pʊa/
• /eʊ/ as in go /geʊ/
•  /aʊ/ as in cow /kaʊ/

Short and long vowel sounds

We have deliberately grouped the vowel sounds to help you understand more clearly. Groups A and B both have ‘pure vowel sounds’, but in Group A are ‘short vowel sounds’ and in Group B ‘long vowel sounds’. The vowel sounds in Group C are not pure; they are diphthongs. 

To make a diphthong the tongue has to ‘glide’; in other words, it has to shift from one position to another in order to bring out a sound. For example, to pronounce /ei/ the tongue moves from the Id to the /ɪ/ position. One vowel sound makes up a monophthong and two vowel sounds make up a diphthong. When three vowel sounds follow on they form a triphthong.

In any language the vowel and consonant sounds blend with each other to come up with intelligible words that carry the thoughts of the speaker. When these sounds reach the listener they have to be decoded, and this decoding will depend on what is already on the mind of the hearer.

Phonetics and phonology in brief

♦    Phonology covers the largest part of language, as communication in any language is facilitated by the sounds that carry the message.

♦    Different languages are the result of the differences in the way the sounds are produced and the meanings they convey, according to the culture and customs of the language-speakers.

♦    Letters are not sounds and sounds are not letters, but letters stand for sounds. Phonetics is the study of the sounds of different languages.

♦    Phonemics (or phonetics) is the transcription or ‘writing gown’ of different languages.

♦    Speaking in and listening to a language involves more than simply hearing. The brain has to encode and decode the language to make meaning.

Both phonetic and phonology are necessary to understand the basic elements of communication and expression in any language.