BASIC CONCEPTS OF PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY
Phonetics & Phonology
Speech Sounds
Consonants, Vowels, and Diphthongs
Oral vs Written Language
Voice & Voiceless Sounds
/ ]
Phonemes & Allophones
Place & Manner of articulation
IPA
Human Vocal Tract
International Phonetic Alphabet
Speech Apparatus
References: Fromkin, V., Rodman, R., & Hyams, N. (2018). An introduction to language (11th ed.). Cengage Learning Roach, P. (2009). English phonetics and phonology: A practical course (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press Yule, G. (2020). The study of language (8th ed.). Cambridge University Press Ladefoged, P., & Johnson, K. (2015). A course in phonetics (7th ed.). Cengage Learning
The vocal cords do not vibrate (like /p/, /t/, /k/, /f/, /s/) pat /pæt/ → /p/ is voiceless.
Voiceless
The vocal cords vibrate when you say them (like /b/, /d/, /g/, /v/, /z/) bat /bæt/ → /b/ is voiced.
Voice
VS
Oral language is spoken and heard. It’s natural — children learn it first, and it includes pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation
Oral Language
Written language is visual. It uses letters and symbols to represent spoken words. Both are connected, but they have different rules
Written Language
VS
International Phonetic Alphabet
The IPA is a universal system of symbols that represent every possible sound in human languages. It helps learners know how to pronounce words correctly, no matter the spelling. Each symbol corresponds to one exact sound (phoneme).
Example:
- Cat → /kæt/
- Ship → /ʃɪp/
- Phone → /fəʊn/
The place of articulation shows where the sound is made — for example, with the lips, teeth, or tongue
Place of articulation
The manner of articulation explains how the air moves when producing the sound — whether it stops, flows smoothly, or vibrates.
Manner of articulation
VS
Phonetics is the study of how we make, hear, and describe speech sounds. It focuses on the physical side of language — how our mouth, tongue, and vocal cords move to produce sounds
Phonetics
Phonology studies how these sounds work and combine in a language to create meaning. It’s more about the system of sounds and their patterns
Phonology
VS
Human Vocal Tract
Speech Organs
The vocal tract is the part of our body we use to produce speech sounds. It includes:
- Lungs: Push air out to create sounds.
- Vocal cords: Vibrate for voiced sounds.
- Tongue, lips, teeth, and palate: Shape the sounds.
- Nose: Used in nasal sounds like /m/ or /n/.
Each part has a special role in creating different types of sounds.
Example:
- The lips make /p/, /b/, and /m/
- The tongue touches the alveolar ridge to make /t/ and /d/
A phoneme is the smallest sound that can change the meaning of a word
Phonemes
An allophone is a small variation of the same phoneme that doesn’t change meaning
Allophones
/ /
[ ]
VS
are combinations of two vowel sounds in one syllable, where your mouth moves from one position to another Examples: /aɪ/ in time
Diphthongs
are sounds made by blocking or restricting the air in some way Examples: /p/, /t/, /k/, /s/, /m/
Consonants
are made with an open vocal tract and free airflow. They are the “music” of speech Examples: /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/
Vowels
PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY
Abish Salazar
Created on November 28, 2024
Start designing with a free template
Discover more than 1500 professional designs like these:
View
Museum Flipcards
View
Image Comparison Slider
View
Microcourse: Key Skills for the Professional Environment
View
The Meeting Microlearning
View
The Meeting Microlearning Mobile
View
Corporate Who's Who
View
Concepts Comparison Flipcards
Explore all templates
Transcript
BASIC CONCEPTS OF PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY
Phonetics & Phonology
Speech Sounds
Consonants, Vowels, and Diphthongs
Oral vs Written Language
Voice & Voiceless Sounds
/ ]
Phonemes & Allophones
Place & Manner of articulation
IPA
Human Vocal Tract
International Phonetic Alphabet
Speech Apparatus
References: Fromkin, V., Rodman, R., & Hyams, N. (2018). An introduction to language (11th ed.). Cengage Learning Roach, P. (2009). English phonetics and phonology: A practical course (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press Yule, G. (2020). The study of language (8th ed.). Cambridge University Press Ladefoged, P., & Johnson, K. (2015). A course in phonetics (7th ed.). Cengage Learning
The vocal cords do not vibrate (like /p/, /t/, /k/, /f/, /s/) pat /pæt/ → /p/ is voiceless.
Voiceless
The vocal cords vibrate when you say them (like /b/, /d/, /g/, /v/, /z/) bat /bæt/ → /b/ is voiced.
Voice
VS
Oral language is spoken and heard. It’s natural — children learn it first, and it includes pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation
Oral Language
Written language is visual. It uses letters and symbols to represent spoken words. Both are connected, but they have different rules
Written Language
VS
International Phonetic Alphabet
The IPA is a universal system of symbols that represent every possible sound in human languages. It helps learners know how to pronounce words correctly, no matter the spelling. Each symbol corresponds to one exact sound (phoneme).
Example:
The place of articulation shows where the sound is made — for example, with the lips, teeth, or tongue
Place of articulation
The manner of articulation explains how the air moves when producing the sound — whether it stops, flows smoothly, or vibrates.
Manner of articulation
VS
Phonetics is the study of how we make, hear, and describe speech sounds. It focuses on the physical side of language — how our mouth, tongue, and vocal cords move to produce sounds
Phonetics
Phonology studies how these sounds work and combine in a language to create meaning. It’s more about the system of sounds and their patterns
Phonology
VS
Human Vocal Tract
Speech Organs
The vocal tract is the part of our body we use to produce speech sounds. It includes:
- Lungs: Push air out to create sounds.
- Vocal cords: Vibrate for voiced sounds.
- Tongue, lips, teeth, and palate: Shape the sounds.
- Nose: Used in nasal sounds like /m/ or /n/.
Each part has a special role in creating different types of sounds.Example:
A phoneme is the smallest sound that can change the meaning of a word
Phonemes
An allophone is a small variation of the same phoneme that doesn’t change meaning
Allophones
/ /
[ ]
VS
are combinations of two vowel sounds in one syllable, where your mouth moves from one position to another Examples: /aɪ/ in time
Diphthongs
are sounds made by blocking or restricting the air in some way Examples: /p/, /t/, /k/, /s/, /m/
Consonants
are made with an open vocal tract and free airflow. They are the “music” of speech Examples: /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/
Vowels