PHONETICS

What is phonetics? It’s a discipline in linguistics which deals with the transcription of sounds. The units are called phonemes. There are three kinds of phonemes: Vowels. Consonants. Diphthongs (union of two vowels in the same syllable).

What phonetics exercises will be important for the exam? Identify phonemes with graphemes (letter or letters which represent a phoneme in ordinary writing). -ed endings. Plural and 3rd person singular –s endings.

VOWELS VOWEL GRAPHEMES EXAMPLES / i: / -ee-, -ea- / ɪ / -i- / ʊ / tree, seat. / ɪ / -i- sit, / ʊ / -oo-, -u- good, would, could, should / u: / -oo-, -u-, -oe- foot, rule, / e / -e-, -ea-, -ai- bet, / ə / -er, -or endings, and many other unstressed vowels. father, conductor, alive / ɜ : / -ir-, -ur-, -or-, -ear- in stressed syllables. bird, world, earth, / ɔ : / -oor, -or-, -al- door, more, talk / ɑ / -o-, -a- pot, stop, want / æ / -a- cat, bag, / ʌ / -u-, -o- cup, love, / a: / -ar-, -as- car, cart, class

DIPHTHONGS / ɪə / / eə / / ʊə / / əʊ / / aʊ / / eɪ / / aɪ / / ɔɪ / Graphemes Examples / ɪə / -ea-, -ee-, year, beer, clear / eə / -air-, -eir, –ere- chair, where, there, their / ʊə / -ure-, -our- (not very common. It can be substituted by the vowel / ɔ: / pure, tour / əʊ / -o- (generally in monosyllables ending in –e), -ow tone, vote, throw / aʊ / -ou-, -ow- loud, vow, out / eɪ / -a- (generally in monosyllables ending in –e), -ay-, -ey- lane, mate, change, way / aɪ / -i- (generally in monosyllables ending in –e), -i-, five, mice, light / ɔɪ / -oy-, -oi- choice, voice

CONSONANTS There are two types of consonants: voiced and unvoiced, depending on whether the vocal cords vibrate or not. UNVOICED: / p /, / f /, / t /, / θ/, / tʃ /, / k /, / ʃ / VOICED: / b /, / v /, / d /, / ð /, / dʒ /, / z /, / ʒ /, / g /, /h /, /m/, / n /, / ŋ /, / r /, / l /, / w /, / j /

Unvoiced consonants Consonant Graphemes examples / p / -p- please tea / f / -f-, -gh- four, enough, laugh / k / -c-, -k-, -ch- cake, architect / θ / -th- thing, through, / tʃ / -ch- cheese, much / ʃ / -sh-, -ch-, -s-, -ss-, -tion ship, machine, sure, mission

Voiced consonants 1 The consonants in this slide are similar to the ones we find in Spanish. Their graphemic correspondance is regular. Consonant Graphemes examples / b / -b- big / d / -d- day / g / -g- go / m / -m- maniac / n / -n- navy / l / -l- long

Voiced consonants 2 Consonant Graphemes examples / v / -v- have, vibrate / h / -h- help, / ð / -th- they, there, bathe / dʒ / -j-, -g-, -d- Japan, ginger, soldier / ŋ / -ng-, -nk- sing, drink, doing / ʒ / -s-, -ss- pleasure, measure / w / -w- (only before vowel; when after vowel is generally / ʊ / ) white, wolf / j / -y- young, yellow