1. Essentials of English Phonetics
Presented by Nakia Gardner
Grand Canyon University
RDG 535 Descriptive Linguistics and Phonics
Karen Hutter
January 25, 2009

2. English Phonetics Phonology is the study of the sounds of language
Phonics-based instruction is used to encourage students to sound out words while reading
Teachers of all levels involved in teaching literacy need to understand phonetics
(P. Justice, 2004)

3. Phonemes
Phonemes can be defined as “a psychologically real unit of linguistic sound
It is also the smallest unit of sound and can be represented by one or more letters
Many sounds exist in the world, but only some sounds are used in human language
Some sounds are familiar only to speakers of a particular language
Phonemes are produced by the vocal tract of the speaker
(Justice, 2004)

4. Production of Speech
Production of sounds in connected speech is a series of complex maneuvers.
Oral communication requires exact placement, sequencing, timing, direction and force of the articulators.
These occur simultaneously with precise airstream alteration, initiation or halting of phonation and velopharyngeal action.

5. Organs Used in Production of Speech
Lips - labia
Labial - using the lips
Dental - teeth
Alveolar Ridge - teeth ridge
Palate - hard palate
Palatal - using the hard palate
Velum - soft palate
Velar - using the velum
Glottal - using the glottis
Mouth Cavity - Oral Cavity
Trachea - windpipe

6. Features of Linguistic Sounds
Plosive, or oral stop, where there is complete occlusion (blockage) of both the oral and nasal cavities of the vocal tract, and therefore no air flow.
Nasal Stop, usually shortened to nasal, where there is complete occlusion of the oral cavity, and the air passes instead through the nose. The shape and position of the tongue determine the resonant cavity that gives different nasal stops their characteristic sounds

7. Fricative, sometimes called spirant, where there is continuous frication (turbulent and noisy airflow) at the place of articulation.
Sibilants are a type of fricative where the airflow is guided by a groove in the tongue toward the teeth, creating a high-pitched and very distinctive sound. These are by far the most common fricatives. Fricatives at coronal (front of tongue) places of articulation are usually, though not always, sibilants
Lateral fricatives are a rare type of fricative, where the frication occurs on one or both sides of the edge of the tongue

8. Flap, often called a tap, is a momentary closure of the oral cavity
Affricate, which begins like a plosive, but this releases into a fricative rather than having a separate release of its own
Flap, often called a tap, is a momentary closure of the oral cavity
Trill, in which the articulator (usually the tip of the tongue) is held in place, and the airstream causes it to vibrate
Approximant, where there is very little obstruction

9. Phonetic Orthography
A phonemic orthography is a writing system where the written graphemes correspond to phonemes, the spoken sounds of the language
These are sometimes termed true alphabets, but non-alphabetic writing systems like syllabaries can be phonemic as well
(Wikipedia)

10. Phonemic orthography in a language is affected by the borrowing of loanwords from another written in the same alphabet but having different sound-to-spelling conventions.
If the original spelling and pronunciation are both kept, then the spelling is "irregular”

11. Representing Linguistic Sounds
Phonetic transcription is the process in which we represent the sounds of language using phonetic orthography
Different symbols represent different sounds
Some spellings represent different sounds in different words
Some sounds can be represented by multiple spellings in different words
A single English letter can represent multiple sounds in a given words
A single sound can be represented by multiple English letters in a given word
(Justice, 2004)

12. Examples of Linguistic Sounds using Phonetic Transcription
tax = tӕks
check = čék
feature = fíčǝr
music = myύzɪk
thing = Ɵɪŋ
shoe = šú

13. Consonants of English Consonants of English is not the same as letters
Consonants of English refer to sounds or phonemes
These sounds are produced when the obstruction of the flow of air passes from the lungs through the vocal tract
The obstruction occurs in different places and different manners
(Justice, 2004)
The vocal tract
Place of articulation
Manner of articulation
Voicing

14. Place of Articulation for Consonants
Term Articulators Used Symbols
Bilabial The two lips [p, b, m]
Labiodental The lower lip and upper front teeth [f, v]
Dental Tongue tip and upper front teeth [Ɵ, ð]
Alveolar Tongue blade or tip and the alveolar ridge [t, d, s, z, n, r, l]
Alveopalatal Tongue blade and back of the alveolar ridge [š, ž, č, ĵ]

15. Term Articulators Used Symbols
Palatal Front of the tongue and hard palate [y]
Velar Back of the tongue and the soft palate (velum) [k, g, ŋ]
Glottal The space between the vocal cords (glottis) [ʔ, h]
Labiovelar Lips with open constriction, plus tongue back and velum [w]
(Justice, 2004)

16. Vowels of English
Vowel sounds are needed in conjunction with consonants to allow us to speak
Vowel sounds differ from consonant sounds-they are not produced by obstructing the flow of air as it passes through the vocal tract
Vowels are created through a combination of tongue position, lip rounding and muscle tension
Vowels can be difficult to see, feel, or hear with some being more difficult than others
(Justice, 2004)

17. Height of Vowels
Traditionally, there are three categories of vowel height:
High: [i, ɪ, u, ʊ]
Mid: [e, ɛ, ɔ, ʌ, ǝ, o]
Low: [ӕ, ɑ]

18. Rounding of Vowels
This refers to lip rounding. In English, round vowels must also be back vowels.
Round vowels: [u, o,ʊ, ɔ]
Unround: [i, e, æ, ɪ, ɛ, ʌ, ǝ]

19. Tongue Position of Vowels
Vowels can be front, back, or central.
Front: [i, e, æ, ɪ, ɛ]
Back: [u, o, ʊ, ɑ, ɔ]
Central: [ǝ, ʌ]

20. Summary
All of these components of phonetics work together to create our English language
Teachers need to understand the complexity of phonetics in order to assist in being an effective literacy teacher
Teachers can make a difference in ELL student’s lives by understanding phonetics
Understanding phonetics will allow a teacher to transfer knowledge about English to an ELL learner that will in turn allow them to become fluent in English

21. References http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonetic_orthography
Justice, P. W. (2004). Relevant Linguistics: An Introduction to the Structure and Use of English for Teachers. Stanford, CA: CSLI Publications.