Phonetics: The Sounds of Language The Phonetic Alphabet Brief Biography of Theorist

What is Phonetics? Phonetics: “The science, study, analysis and classification of speech sounds, including their production, transmission, and reception.” Pei Mario (1966) 205.

The main branches Acoustic phonetics- deals with the physical properties of the sounds. Auditory phonetics- studies listeners perception of these sounds. Articulatory phonetics- how the vocal tract produces the sounds.

History Although phonetics has a long history the first serious attempt to codify a universal phonetic alphabet encompassing a symbol for every known speech sound began with the International Phonetic Association (IPA) in 1888. It was continued by Daniel Jones and Paul Passy two influential British linguists. IPA Homepage. tm

History Daniel Jones demonstrates a kymograph i.e. a device for recording air pressure and speech movements and a palatogram to help adult foreigners learn to speak English like a native and acquire good pronunciation. http://waij.com/oldbooks/phonetics

Table 6.6 Phonetic Symbols Table 6.6 on page 264-265 of you text gives the Phonetic Symbol/English Spelling Correspondences for American English consonants and vowels.

The anatomy of a phonetic transcription Word Transcription Though [ ]

Step # 1 Break word into constituent elements Though [th-ou-gh]

Step # 2 Assign correct phonetic symbols to each unit Though [th-ou-gh] th= ? ou=? gh=?

Step # 2 Assign correct phonetic symbols to each unit Though [th-ou-gh] th= δ ou=o gh=silent

Correct Phonetic Transcription Spelling Pronunciation Though [δo ]

Spelling Pronunciation Practice # 2 Spelling Pronunciation Thought [ ]

Practice # 2 Assign correct phonetic symbols to each unit Thought [th-ou-ght] th= θ ou=כֿ gh=silent t=t

Spelling Pronunciation Transcription # 2 Spelling Pronunciation Thought [θכֿt]

Spelling Pronunciation Practice # 3 Spelling Pronunciation rough [ ]

Spelling Pronunciation Transcription # 3 Spelling Pronunciation rough [rΛf]

Spelling Pronunciation Practice # 4 Spelling Pronunciation bough [ ]

Spelling Pronunciation Transcription # 4 Spelling Pronunciation bough [baw]

Spelling Pronunciation Practice # 5 Spelling Pronunciation Through [ ]

Spelling Pronunciation Transcription # 5 Spelling Pronunciation Through [θru]

Spelling Pronunciation Practice # 6 Spelling Pronunciation would [ ]

Spelling Pronunciation Transcription # 6 Spelling Pronunciation would [wUd]

Spelling Pronunciation French Transcription Spelling Pronunciation tu [ ]

Spelling Pronunciation French Transcription Spelling Pronunciation tu [ty]

The pièce de résistance question 8 page 270-271 Write a phonetic transcription of the italicized words in the poem entitled “English” published long ago in a British newspaper.

The English Poem I take it you already know Of tough and bough and cough and dough? Some may stumble, but not you, On hiccough, thorough, slough and through? So now you are ready, perhaps, To learn of less familiar traps? Beware of heard, a dreadful word That looks like beard and sounds like bird . And dead , it’s said like bed, not bead; For goodness’ sake, don’t call it deed ! Watch out for meat and great and threat . (They rhyme with suite and straight and debt .) A moth is not a moth in mother , Nor both in bother, broth in brother .

The English poem line 1 I take it you already know

The English poem line 1 I take it you already know Know= [no]

Of tough and bough and cough and dough? Line 2 Of tough and bough and cough and dough?

Line # 2 transcribed Of tough [tΛf] and bough [baw] and cough [kэf] and dough [do]?

Some may stumble, but not you Line 3 Some may stumble, but not you

Some may stumble, but not you [ju] Line 3 transcribed Some may stumble, but not you [ju]

On hiccough, thorough, slough and through? Line 4 On hiccough, thorough, slough and through?

On hiccough [hΙkΛp], thorough [θəro], slough [slu] and through [θru]? Line 4 transcribed On hiccough [hΙkΛp], thorough [θəro], slough [slu] and through [θru]?

Line 5 and 6 So now you are ready, perhaps, To learn of less familiar traps?

Beware of heard, a dreadful word Line 7 Beware of heard, a dreadful word

Beware of heard [hΛrd], a dreadful word [wΛrd] Line 7 transcribed Beware of heard [hΛrd], a dreadful word [wΛrd]

That looks like beard and sounds like bird. Line 8 That looks like beard and sounds like bird.

That looks like beard [bird] and sounds like bird [bΛrd]. Line 8 transcribed That looks like beard [bird] and sounds like bird [bΛrd].

And dead, it’s said like bed, not bead; Line 9 And dead, it’s said like bed, not bead;

And dead [dεd], it’s said [sεd] like bed [bεd], not bead [bid]; Line 9 transcribed And dead [dεd], it’s said [sεd] like bed [bεd], not bead [bid];

For goodness’ sake, don’t call it deed! Line 10 For goodness’ sake, don’t call it deed!

For goodness’ sake, don’t call it deed [did]! Line 10 transcribed For goodness’ sake, don’t call it deed [did]!

Watch out for meat and great and threat. Line 11 Watch out for meat and great and threat.

Watch out for meat [mit] and great [gret] and threat [θrεt]. Line 11 transcribed Watch out for meat [mit] and great [gret] and threat [θrεt].

(They rhyme with suite and straight and debt.) Line 12 (They rhyme with suite and straight and debt.)

(They rhyme with suite [swit] and straight [stret] and debt [dεt].) Line 12 transcribed (They rhyme with suite [swit] and straight [stret] and debt [dεt].)

A moth is not a moth in mother Line 13 A moth is not a moth in mother

A moth [mэθ] is not a moth in mother [mΛδər] Line 13 transcribed A moth [mэθ] is not a moth in mother [mΛδər]

Nor both in bother, broth in brother. Line 14 Nor both in bother, broth in brother.

Nor both [boθ] in bother [baδΛr], broth [brэθ] in brother [brəδər]. Line 14 transcribed Nor both [boθ] in bother [baδΛr], broth [brэθ] in brother [brəδər].

Finished Poem I take it you already know [no] Of tough [tΛf] and bough [baw] and cough [kэf] and dough [do]? Some may stumble, but not you [ju], On hiccough [hΙkΛp], thorough [θəro], slough [slu] and through [θru]? So now you are ready, perhaps, To learn of less familiar traps? Beware of heard [hΛrd], a dreadful word [wΛrd] That looks like beard [bird] and sounds like bird [bΛrd]. And dead [dεd], it’s said [sεd] like bed [bεd], not bead [bid]; For goodness’ sake, don’t call it deed [did]! Watch out for meat [mit] and great [gret] and threat [θrεt]. (They rhyme with suite [swit] and straight [stret] and debt [dεt].) A moth [mэθ] is not a moth in mother [mΛδər] Nor both [boθ] in bother [baδΛr], broth [brэθ] in brother [brəδər].

References Fromkin , V. & Rodman, R. An Introduction to Language, 7th edition. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace. pp. 231-271. www2.arts.gla.ac.uk/IPA/IPA.html http://waij.com/oldbooks/phonetics