Instituto Superior San Pío X

ENGLISH PHONETICS I
Sub. Teacher: Agustín Palavecino

/ /
Work in groups. Make sentences using the
sentences halves in the slips of paper to revise
what we learnt last class.
International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) 1

-Transcription: the use of phonetic symbols to write

down the way an utterance (a stretch of speech) is
pronounced. 2
-Goal of phonetics: to be able to transcribe accurately any
utterance in any language.
-Each sound is given a symbol. The symbols used are
recommended by the International Phonetic Association. 3
-This system, popularly known as the International
Phonetic Alphabet, is the most widely used set of
symbols.
-Both the Association and the Alphabet are known as
4
the IPA.
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How sounds are produced
Articulatory phonetics: the examination of the vocal organs, T
the parts of the body used in producing speech.

The lungs are cone-shaped structures in the chest

composed of spongy, elastic material. The lungs consist W
of small air sacs, or alveoli, where oxygen from the fresh
air is exchanged for carbon dioxide in the blood. When
speaking, we breathe in fairly quickly and then expel the
T
air more slowly. In English, all speech is made as the air
flows out of the body; that is, English speakers do not
ordinarily talk while breathing in.
F
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How sounds are produced

Trachea (or windpipe) : The two bronchi merge into a

single vertical tube called the trachea or windpipe. In W
speech, the bronchi and trachea function simply as tubes
to carry the air in and out of the lungs

F
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The vocal folds

The vocal folds lie inside the larynx, just behind

W
horizontal bands of ligament and muscle, lying
across the air passage; they can open and close.
The opening between the vocal folds is called the
glottis; the word glottal is used to describe T
activities of the vocal folds.

F
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The vocal folds

The vocal folds can be adjusted in various ways to give

different acoustic effects. When you hold your breath with W
your mouth open, you close your vocal folds, thus
preventing air from leaving or entering the lungs. In
phonetics, this act is called a glottal stop
T

F
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The vocal folds

As air passes through the opening between the separated

vocal folds, a slight friction-like noise is heard. If you make
a long /h/ /hhhhhhhhhhh/, you will hear this noise. This W
glottal adjustment is called voiceless.

When your vocal folds are not entirely closed, the air
passes between them and causes them to vibrate by T
opening and closing rapidly in succession. Thus, a vibration
is produced called voicing.
F
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The vocal folds

Laryngoscopy of an Opera Singer

Speech Language Pathology / The Vocal Cords in Action F
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How sounds are produced
Pharynx
T
The pharynx serves primarily as a tube connecting the
larynx with the oral and nasal cavities

Oral cavity W
The mouth, or oral cavity is an articulator. The different
shapes of the mouth produce different sounds. The upper
articulators are the upper lip, upper teeth, the upper
surface of the mouth, and the pharyngeal wall. The lower
T
articulators are the lower lip, lower teeth, and tongue. A
lower articulator articulates with an upper articulator when
it is positioned so as to form an obstruction to the air
passage F
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How sounds are produced

T
One of the most important articulators are the lips.
They commonly articulate with each other to form
bilabial sounds. Another common articulation occurs
when the lower lip articulates with the upper teeth to W
form labiodental sounds.

Sounds which are made with the forward part of the

tongue articulating with the upper teeth are called
T
dental

F
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How sounds are produced

F
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How sounds are produced
Alveolar ridge T
Just behind the upper teeth, there is a
bumpy area known as the alveolar ridge.
Put the tip of your tongue against your
upper teeth and pull it slowly back. Sounds W
made here are called alveolar.
Postalveolar sounds are made with the
blade of the tongue articulating at the back
of the alveolar ridge and the front of the T
tongue raised towards the palate.
Retroflex sounds are made with the tip of
the tongue curled back to articulate with
the area at the back of the alveolar ridge F
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How sounds are produced
Velum
T
The soft palate is the rear portion of the
roof of the mouth unsupported by bone.
this soft area is the soft palate. In
phonetics it is normally referred to as the W
velum. Sounds using the lower surface of
the velum as the upper articulator are
called velar.
Uvula
T
At the rear of the mouth, the velum
narrows to a long, thin structure known as
the uvula. It hangs out from the velum.
Sounds made with the uvula are called F
uvular. English does not use uvular
sounds
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How sounds are produced

Tongue
The tongue is a large, muscular organ
which is involved in almost every sound W
we make. The surface of the tongue is
continuous, but phoneticians find it
convenient to divide it into five parts.
T

F
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How sounds are produced
Nasal cavity
The pharynx opens upwards into the nasal cavity. We have no control over the shape T
of this cavity; however, the velum can be raised and lowered to open and close the
opening from the pharynx to the nasal cavity. When the velum is lowered, air can
escape out through the nose. If the velum is raised, air cannot escape through the
nose. Sounds made with velic opening are called nasal or nasalised; sounds made W
with velic closure are called oral