Transcript English Phonetics & Phonology

Introduction to Phonetics &
Phonology
Dr S.J. Hannahs
Lecture 1 -- SEL1006/SEL8117
Semester 1, 2009-10
Newcastle University
Structure of the module
 One hour lecture per week
 One hour seminar per week (compulsory)
 End-of-semester two-hour exam in January
What is phonetics?
What is phonetics?
Phonetics is the study of speech sounds.
What is phonetics?
Phonetics is the study of speech sounds.
 a) how they’re produced (articulatory
phonetics)
What is phonetics?
Phonetics is the study of speech sounds.
 a) how they’re produced (articulatory
phonetics)
 b) their physical characteristics (acoustic
phonetics)
What is phonetics?
Phonetics is the study of speech sounds.
 a) how they’re produced (articulatory
phonetics)
 b) their physical characteristics (acoustic
phonetics) and
 c) how they’re perceived (auditory phonetics).
What is phonetics?
In this module we’ll concentrate on:
a) how they’re produced (articulatory phonetics)
Sound/symbol correspondence
Sound/symbol correspondence
The need for a transcription system
Sound/symbol correspondence
The need for a transcription system
Consider written English
Sound/symbol correspondence
The need for a transcription system
Consider written English
enough
Sound/symbol correspondence
The need for a transcription system
Consider written English
enough through
Sound/symbol correspondence
The need for a transcription system
Consider written English
enough through thorough
Sound/symbol correspondence
The need for a transcription system
Consider written English
enough through thorough thought
Sound/symbol correspondence
The need for a transcription system
Consider written English
enough through thorough thought bough
Sound/symbol correspondence
The need for a transcription system
Consider written English
enough through thorough thought bough
think
Sound/symbol correspondence
The need for a transcription system
Consider written English
enough through thorough thought bough
think
those
Sound/symbol correspondence
The need for a transcription system
Consider written English
enough through thorough thought bough
think
those
thistle
Sound/symbol correspondence
The need for a transcription system
Consider written English
enough through thorough thought bough
think
those
thistle
thong
Sound/symbol correspondence
The need for a transcription system
Consider written English
enough through thorough thought bough
think
church
those
thistle
thong
Sound/symbol correspondence
The need for a transcription system
Consider written English
enough through thorough thought bough
think
church
those
chemistry
thistle
thong
Sound/symbol correspondence
The need for a transcription system
Consider written English
enough through thorough thought bough
think
church
those
chemistry
thistle
loch
thong
Sound/symbol correspondence
The need for a transcription system
Consider written English
enough through thorough thought bough
think
church
those
chemistry
thistle
loch
thong
Cheryl
International Phonetic Alphabet
IPA
 Devised in the 19th Century to help describe
the sounds of languages independently of a
language’s orthography (= writing system).
 Under continuous revision.
 Last major revision was in 1993.
Sound/symbol correspondence
enough through thorough thought bough
[ʌf]
[u:]
[ə]
[ɔ:]
[aʊ]
think
[θ]
church
[tʃ]
those
[ð]
chemistry
[k]
thistle
[θ]
loch
[x]
thong
[θ]
Cheryl
[ʃ]
Transcription – the art of reducing
speech to writing
 Don’t be influenced by English spelling!!
 Transcribe what is, not what ‘ought’ to be
 For instance, speech sounds can influence
neighbouring sounds:



i[n] Newcastle
i[m] Bolton
i[ŋ] Carlisle
 Trust your ears, not your years of education!!
Transcription – the art of reducing
speech to writing
 Remember: a word in isolation may be
spoken differently to a word in connected
speech


to = [tu:]
give it to him = [gɪv ɪt tə ɪm]
Transcription – the art of reducing
speech to writing
 Remember: a word in isolation may be
spoken differently to a word in connected
speech
compare


to = [tu:]
give it to him = [gɪv ɪt tə ɪm]
International Phonetic Alphabet
IPA
Nota bene! The current IPA chart appears in
Davenport & Hannahs (2005:xvi)
Seminars
 Will begin next week, not this week
 Next week’s seminar exercises will be: Exx 1-
5, in Davenport & Hannahs, Ch. 2, p.17
 In the meantime, read Chapters 1 & 2 of
Davenport & Hannahs