Overview of the branch of linguistics that deals with the sounds of speech (phonetics) and the systematic organization of sounds in languages (phonology).
Introduction to Phonetics & Phonology
Key concepts, terminology, and relationships – organized for quick review.
| Discipline | Focus | Main Question |
|---|---|---|
| Phonetics | Physical properties of speech sounds | How are speech sounds produced, transmitted, and perceived? |
| Phonology | Abstract, systematic organization of sounds in a language | How do sounds function to create meaning and patterns? |
Bottom‑up → Top‑down – Phonetics describes the raw material; phonology explains how that material is organized in the mind.
Articulatory Phonetics – How the vocal tract shapes sound.
Acoustic Phonetics – Physical signal (frequency, intensity, duration).
Auditory Phonetics – How the ear & brain perceive sounds.
| Term | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Place of articulation | Location where airflow is obstructed | /p/ = bilabial, /t/ = alveolar |
| Manner of articulation | Type of obstruction | /s/ = fricative, /m/ = nasal |
| Voicing | Vibration of vocal folds | /b/ = voiced, /p/ = voiceless |
| Airstream mechanism | Source of airflow | Pulmonic egressive (most languages) |
| IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) | Standardized symbols for all speech sounds | /θ/, /ʃ/, /ɲ/ |
| Level | Definition | Illustration |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | Concrete speech sound, measured acoustically | [pʰ] vs. [p] in English “pin” vs. “spin” |
| Phoneme | Abstract mental category; contrasts create meaning | /p/ vs. /b/ in pat vs. bat |
| Allophone | Variant of a phoneme conditioned by context | [p] vs. [pʰ] are allophones of /p/ in English |
| Minimal pair | Two words differing by a single phoneme | bat /bæt/ – pat /pæt/ |
Phonemic Inventory – Set of phonemes a language uses.
Phonotactics – Rules governing permissible sound sequences.
Distinctive Features – Binary (+/-) properties that differentiate phonemes.