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English Phonetics and Phonology

1. Introduction to

Phonetics and Phonology

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English Phonetics and Phonology: Lectures

Code: AN123 K1

Status: required

Lecturer: Dr Vermes Albert

E-mail: vermes@ektf.hu

Internet: gemini.ektf.hu/~vermes

Objectives: The course is intended to introduce students to English phonetics and phonology by providing a general outline of such phenomena as well as by focusing attention on the essential phonetic and phonological characteristics of the English language.

Topics:

• 1. Introduction to the course. Pronunciation, phonetics and phonology

• 2. Basic concepts in phonetics and phonology

• 3. Articulatory description and classification of consonant sounds

• 4. Articulatory description and classification of vowel sounds

• 5. Phonological description of the English consonants

• 6. Phonological description of the English vowels

• 7. Spelling regularities for the English consonants

• 8. Regularities of spelling and pronunciation for the English vowels

• 9. English syllable structure

• 10. Stress in simple words

• 11. Stress in complex words

• 12. Sentence stress and rhythm in English

• 13. English intonation: forms and functions

• 14. Sentence types and intonation in English

Evaluation: Students will be required to take a written exam at the end of the semester.

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Required readings:

• Nádasdy Á. 2006. Background to English Pronunciation : Phonetics, Phonology, Spelling : For Students of English at Hungarian Teacher Training Institutions. Budapest: Nemzeti Tankönyvkiadó.

Suggested readings:

• András, L. T. and Stephanides, E. 1988. An Outline of Present-day English Structure. Volume 1: Phonetics and Phonology. Budapest: Tankönyvkiadó.

• Giegrich, H. J. 1992. English Phonology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

• Gimson, A. C. 1991. An Introduction to the Pronunciation of English. London: Edward Arnold.

• Jones, D. 1993. An Outline of English Phonetics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

• Kovács, J. and Siptár, P. 2000. Újra angolra hangolva. Budapest: Helikon Kiadó.

• Nádasdy, Á. 2003. Practice Book in English Phonetics and Phonology. Budapest: Nemzeti Tankönyvkiadó.

• O’Connor, J. D. 1991. Phonetics. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books.

• Roach, P. 1991. English Phonetics and Phonology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

• Roach, P. 1992. Introducing Phonetics. London: Penguin Books.

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1. What is this course about?

• English pronunciation:

• “those elements of knowledge that do

not appear in writing, or cannot be

directly inferred from the written form

of the language” (Nádasdy 2006: 23).

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2. What are the specific aims?

I. Phonetic knowledge

II. Phonological (systematic) knowledge

III. Spelling regularities

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I. Phonetic knowledge

Phonetic knowledge: the production and perception of

(a) Segmental elements

Absolute differences: cf. H szó and E so

Relative differences: cf. H ing and E sing

(b) Suprasegmental elements

Stress: cf. H ‘hotel and E ho‘tel

Rhythm: cf. H A nagyija egy ‘helyes öreg néni.

E Her granny is a nice old ‘lady.

Intonation: cf. H Itt lakik? and E Is she living here?

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II. Phonological (systematic)

knowledge(a) Sound composition: cf. then /Den/ and den

/den/

(b) Sound alternations:

cf. rebel (n) /’reb@l/ and rebel (v) /rI’bel/(c) Morpheme alternations:

cf. the act /DI{kt/ and the fact /D@f{kt/inactive vs. impossible

(d) Rules of stressing and intonation:

cf. cong‘ratulate and congratu‘lation

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III. Spelling regularities

rob and robe,

hit and hitting

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3. Definitions

Phonetics

• Articulatory phonetics

• Acoustic phonetics

• Auditory phonetics

Phonology

• Segmental phonology

• Suprasegmental phonology

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Phonetics

Phonetics is the science which studies the

characteristics of human sound-making,

especially those sounds used in speech,

and provides methods for their description,

classification and transcription.

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Branches of phonetics

Articulatory phonetics is the study of the way

speech sounds are made (articulated) by the

vocal organs.

Acoustic phonetics studies the physical

properties of speech sounds, as transmitted

between mouth and ear.

Auditory phonetics studies the perceptual

response to speech sounds, as mediated by ear,

auditory nerve and brain.

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Phonology

Phonology is a branch of linguistics which studies the

sound systems of languages. Out of the very wide

range of sounds the human vocal apparatus can

produce, and which are studied by phonetics, only a

relatively small number are used distinctively in any

one language. The sounds are organised into a

system of contrasts, which are analysed in terms of

phonemes, distinctive features or other such

phonological units, according to the theory used.

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Phonology (cntd.)

The aim of phonology is to demonstrate the patterns of distinctive sound found in a language and to make as general statements as possible about the nature of sound systems in the languages of the world. In other words, phonology is concerned with the range and function of sounds in specific languages and with the rules which can be given to show the types of phonetic relationships that relate and

contrast words and other linguistic units.

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Branches of phonology

• Segmental phonology analyses speech into discrete segments, such as phonemes.

• Suprasegmental phonologyanalyses those features which extend over more than one segment, such as rhythm and intonation.

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4. Relationship of phonetics and

phonologyLanguage is a complex and dynamic

system of conventional symbols that is used in various modes for thought and communication (Committee on Language, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. ASHA, June 1983, 25, 44).

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Linguistics

• Linguistics may be defined as the scientific

study of language, which aims at an explicit,

consistent and complete description of linguistic

phenomena.

• Different branches of linguistics deal with

different levels of the language system;

phonetics with the raw material of sound and

phonology with how these sounds are used.

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Saussure’s and Chomsky’s

distinction

la language

la langue la parole

competence performance

phonology phonetics

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5. Readings

• Nádasdy, Á. 2006. Background to English Pronunciation. Budapest: Nemzeti Tankönyvkiadó. Chapter 1.

Suggested readings:

• András L. T. and Stephanides, E. 1988. An Outline of Present-day English Structure. Volume 1: Phonetics and Phonology. Budapest: Tankönyvkiadó. Chapter 1.

• Gimson, A. C. 1991. An Introduction to the Pronunciation of English. London: Edward Arnold. Chapter 1.