PHONETICS & PHONOLOGY

Semester # 4

Mr. Usama Shanta

 PHONETICS & PHONOLOGY Sem: 4

VOWELS
Question: What are the differences between consonants and vowels?

Answer: In consonants, there is a contact between the organs of speech and

an obstruction to the flow of air. It might be a complete one or partial. Whereas
in vowels, there is no contact between the organs of speech and no obstruction
to the flow of air as it passes from the larynx to the lips.

The principles of analyzing and producing a vowel sound:

1. Tongue position ((front, central, back))

2. Lips movement ((rounded, unrounded, neutral))
3. Length mark ((long, short))
4. The pitch* ((high, mid, low))

*This term refers to the frequency of vibration of the vocal cords. If

vibration is frequent to the extent of 100%, sound is high, if it is frequent
to the extent of 50%, the sound is mid, if the vibration is less than 50%,
the sound is low.

DIAGRAM FOR VOWEL SOUNDS:

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4 front vowels: i:, , e,

2 central vowels: ,

6 back vowels: u:, , , , ,

FRONT VOWELS
1. /i:/ Front, high, long, unrounded, vowel as in:

Seat [si:t]
Feet [fi:t]
Sweet [swi:t]
Fleet [fli:t]
Heat [hi:t]
Meet [mi:t]

2. /I/ front, high, short, unrounded, vowel as in:

Sit [s t]
Lit [l t]
Hit [h t]
Fit [f t]

3. /e/ front, mid, short, unrounded, vowel as in:

Set [set]
Get [get]
Let [let]
Met [frend]
Lend [lend]
Friend [met]
Web [web]
Egg [eg]
Leg [leg]

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4. / / front, low, short, unrounded, vowel as in:

Sat [s t]
Mat [m t]
Mad [m d]
Sad [s d]
Rat [r t]
Hat [h t]
Fat [f t]

BACK VOWELS
1. /u:/ back, high, long, rounded, vowel as in:

Fool [fu:l]
Cool [cu:l]
Pool [pu:l]
Food [fu:d]
Rude [ru:d]
New [nju:]

2. / / back, high, short, rounded, vowel as in:

Good [g d]
Look [l k]
Took [t k]
Book [b k]
Could [k d]
Would [w d]

Should [ d]
Put [p t]
Foot [f t]

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3. / / back, low, long, rounded, vowel as in:

Floor [fl ]
Door [d ]
Four [f ]
Raw [r ]
War [w ]

4. / / or / / back, low, short, rounded, vowel as in:

Lot [l t]
Log [l g]
Lock [l k]
Knock [n k]
Clock [kl k]
Gone [g n]

5. /a:/ back, low, long, unrounded, vowel as in:

Star [sta:]
Card [ka:d]
Dark [da:k]
Hard [ha:d]
Heart [ha:t]
Farm [fa:m]
Car [ka:]

Jar [ a:r]
Start [sta:t]
Lark [la:k]
Part [pa:t]

6. /^/ back, low, short, unrounded, vowel as in:

Hug [h^g]
Mug [m^g]
Rug [r^g]
Bug [b^g]
Shut [ ^t]
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Run [r^n]
Come [k^m]
Gun [g^n]
Fun [f^n]
One [w^n]
Flood [fl^d]
Blood [bl^d]

CENTRAL VOWELS
1. /3:/ central, mid, long, neutral, vowel as in:

Bird [b3:d]
Heard [h3:d]
Work [w3:k]
Nurse [n3:s]
Curse [k3:s]
Earth [3: ]
Birth [b3: ]
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Hurt [h3:t]

2. / / central, mid, short, neutral, vowel as in:

Ago [ag ]
Attract [ tr ekt]
Speaker [sp :k ]
Arrive [ raIv]
Writer [ra t ]
Fighter [fa t ]

DIPHTHONGS
Question: What is a diphthongs sound?

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Answer: It is a glide from one vowel to another. In other words it is a

combination of two vowel sounds in order to give one sound. There are 8
diphthongs in English; 3 front diphthongs, 2 back diphthongs and 3 central
diphthongs.

FRONT DIPHTHONGS

1. /e / as in:

Say [se ]
Blame [ble m]
Fame [fe m]
Flame [fle m]
Pain [pe n]
Train [tre n]
Rain [re n]
Away [awe ]

2. /a / as in:

Cry [kra ]
Why [wa ]
Night [na t]
Fight [fa t]
Kite [ka t]
Shy [a]
Fly [fla ]

3. / / as in:

Boy [b ]

Joy [ ]
Toy [t ]
Noise [n z]
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Voice [v s]
Point [p nt]

BACK DIPHTHONGS

1. /a / as in:

Mouth [ma ]

South [sa ]
Mouse [ma s]
House [ha s]
Scout [ska t]
Down [da n]
Ground [gra nd]
Found [fa nd]
Sound [sa nd]
Round [ra nd]
How [ha ]
Now [na ]
Cow [ka ]
Count [ka nt]

2. / / as in:

Home [h m]
Snow [sn ]
Low [l ]
Smoke [sm k]
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Ago [ g ]
Boat [b t]
Coat [k t]
Slow [sl ]
Rose [r z]
Code [k d]
Toast [t st]
Comb [k m]

CENTRAL DIPHTHONGS

1. / / as in:

Clear [kl ]
Near [n ]
Hear [h ]
Ear [ ]
Fear [f ]
Dear [d ]
Deer [d ]
Beer [b ]
Year [j ]
Atmosphere [ tm sf ]

2. /e / as in:
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Air [e ]
Hers [he z]

Chair [t e ]
Rare [re ]
Bear [be ]

Share [ e ]
Fair [fe ]
Hair [he ]
Where [we ]
Were [we ]
Stairs [ste z]
Square [skwe ]
Dare [de ]

3. / / as in:

Poor [p ]

Sure [ ]
Cure [kj ]
Pure [pj ]
Tour [t ]

DIAGRAM FOR FRONT DIPHTHONGS

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DIAGRAM FOR BACK DIPHTHONGS

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DIAGRAM FOR CENTRAL DIPHTHONGS

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TRIPHTHONGS
Question: What is a trip-thongs sound?

Answer: It is a glide from one vowel to another and then to the third one. The
third one will be vowel “shwa” [ ].

In other words, it’s a diphthongs + vowel “shwa” [ ]:

a : how

Now;

a + =a  hour

TRIPHTHONGS SOUNDS

Trip-thong sounds are as follows:

1. e + = e
Layer [le ]
Player [ple ]
Grayer [gre ]

2. a + = a
Liar [la ]
Higher [ha ]
Hire [ha ]
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3. + =

Royal [r l]
Loyal [l l]

4. a + = a
Hour [a ]

Shower [a ]
Tower [ta ]
Power [pa ]

5. + =
Lower [l ]
Slower [sl ]
Mower [m ]
PHONEMES
Question: What do we mean by the term phonemes?

Answer: It is the study of the smallest element of the meaning changing sound
in a given language, e.g;

If we replace the first sound in the word ‘hat’ which is ‘h’ by the sound ‘s’,
in this case the whole meaning will be changed and we are going to have a new
word which is ‘sat’.

VOWELS DIPHTHONGS
Seat --- si:t
Fight --- fa t
Sit --- s t Fait --- fe t
Set --- set
Kite --- k t

Question: How can we study phonemes?

Answer: In order to study phonemes, we do need to have a great deal of
knowledge about “Minimal pairs”.

Question: What do we mean by the term “Minimal pairs”?

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Answer: When two different words are exactly the same in every way except for
one sound segment that occurs in the same place in the string, we say that
these words are “Minimal pairs”, e.g;

Si:t
St
Set
S t

Question: Why do we study phonemes “Minimal Pairs”?

Answer: We study phonemes because of the following reasons:

1. It expands the learners’ vocabulary background.

2. It helps the learners to acquire good pronunciation.
3. It helps the learners to understand the problematic sounds in both
languages ((Native language as well as target language)).

ALLOPHONES
Question: What do we mean by the term allophones?

Answer: It is the study of the smallest element of the sound that doesn’t change
the meaning of the word.

V.I.P: If there is going to be a change in the meaning, this change will be as a

result of adding another sound not replacing it, e.g;

Pin --> Spin

Tick --> Stick

Question: How can we study allophones?

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Answer: In order to study allophones, we do need to have a great deal of

knowledge about “aspiration”.

Question: What do we mean by the term aspiration?

Answer: Aspiration is the small puff of air that does follow the sound.
V.I.P: Aspiration mark --> /h/

All voiceless plosives are aspirated like /p/, /t/, /k/. In other words, it is the study
of the different realizations of the same sound, e.g;

QUESTIONS / ANSWERS:
Question #1: Define the following terms:

i. Vowels:
There is no contact between the organs of speech and no obstruction to
the flow of air as it passes from the larynx to the lips.

ii. Diphthongs:
It is a glide from one vowel to another. In other words it is a combination
of two vowel sounds in order to give one sound. There are 8 diphthongs

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in English; 3 front diphthongs, 2 back diphthongs and 3 central

diphthongs.

iii. Trip-thongs:

It is a glide from one vowel to another and then to the third one. The third
one will be vowel “shwa” [ ]. In other words, it’s a diphthongs + vowel
“shwa” [ ]

Question #2: Draw the diagram of the vowel sounds with each vowel
sound in the right place.

Question #3: Compare between the following sounds.

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i. /i:/ … / /
ii. /e/ … / /
iii. /u:/ … / /
iv. / :/ … / /
v. /3:/ … / /

Answer:
• /i:/ … / /
/i:/ Front, high, long, unrounded, vowel
/I/ Front, high, short, unrounded, vowel
It is similar in tongue position, the pitch and the movement of the lips whereas it
differentiates in the length mark.

• /e/ … / /
/e/ front, mid, short, unrounded, vowel
/ / front, low, short, unrounded, vowel
It is similar in tongue position, length mark and the movement of the lips
whereas it differentiates in the pitch.

• /u:/ … / /
/u:/ back, high, long, rounded, vowel
/ / back, high, short, rounded, vowel
It is similar in tongue position, the pitch and the movement of the lips whereas it
differentiates in the length mark.

• / /…/ /
/ / back, low, long, rounded, vowel
/ / back, low, short, rounded, vowel
It is similar in tongue position, the pitch and the movement of the lips whereas it
differentiates in the length mark.

• /3:/ … / /
/3:/ central, mid, long, neutral, vowel
/ / central, mid, short, neutral, vowel
It is similar in tongue position, the pitch and the movement of the lips whereas it
differentiates in the length mark.

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Question #4: What are the differences between phonemes and

allophones?

Answer: Phonemes is the study of the smallest element of the meaning

changing sound in a given language whereas allophones is the study of the
smallest element of the sound that doesn’t change the meaning of the word.

Question #5: Draw the diagram of the diphthongs in order to show

transition from one vowel to another.

DIAGRAM FOR FRONT DIPHTHONGS:

DIAGRAM FOR BACK DIPHTHONGS

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DIAGRAM FOR CENTRAL DIPHTHONGS

Question #6: Put the phonetic symbol which fits the description in
space. e.g. i:, front, high, long, unrounded vowel.

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……. front, mid, short, unrounded, vowel

……. front, low, short, unrounded, vowel

……. back, high, short, rounded, vowel

……. central, mid, short, neutral, vowel

……. back, low, short, unrounded, vowel

Answer:

/e/ front, mid, short, unrounded, vowel

/ / front, low, short, unrounded, vowel

/ / back, high, short, rounded, vowel

/ / central, mid, short, neutral, vowel

/^/ back, low, short, unrounded, vowel

Question #7: Mark true and false

1. All voiced plosives are aspirated.

2. There are more than 8 diphthongs in English.
3. In consonants, there is no contact between the organs of speech.
4. In vowels, there is no contact between the organs of speech.
5. Diphthong is a glide from one vowel to another and than to another.
6. Trip-thong is a glide from one vowel to another and than to another.

7. represents vowel ‘shwa’.

8. Minimal pairs expand the learner’s vocabulary background.
9. /h/ is aspiration mark.
10.Aspiration is the small puff of air that doesn’t follow the sound.

Answer:

1. All voiced plosives are aspirated.

✔ All voiceless plosives are aspirated.

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2. There are more than 8 diphthongs in English.

✔ There are 8 diphthongs in English.

3. In consonants, there is no contact between the organs of speech.

✔ In consonants, there is a contact between the organs of speech.

4. In vowels, there is no contact between the organs of speech.

5. Diphthong is a glide from one vowel to another and than to another.

✔ Diphthong is a glide from one vowel to another.

6. Trip-thong is a glide from one vowel to another and than to another.

7. represents vowel ‘shwa’.

✔ represents vowel ‘shwa’.

8. Minimal pairs expand the learner’s vocabulary background.

9. /h/ is aspiration mark.

10.Aspiration is the small puff of air that doesn’t follow the sound.
✔ Aspiration is the small puff of air that does follow the sound.

Question #8: Fill in the gap.

1. In vowels there’s no contact between organs of speech.

2. In consonants there’s a contact between organs of speech.
3. Diphthong is a glide from one vowel to another.
4. Trip-thong is a glide from one vowel to another and then to another one.
5. Trip-thong is a diphthong + vowel shwa.
6. Phonemes is a study of the smallest element of the meaning changing
sound in a given language.

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7. Allophones is the study of the smallest element of the sound that doesn’t
change the meaning of the word.
8. There are 4 principles of analyzing and producing a vowel sound.
9. There are 3 front, 2 back and 3 central diphthongs.
10.There are 4 front, 6 back and 2 central vowels.

Question #9: How can we study the following? Explain and give
examples

i. Allophones
ii. Phonemes

Answer: In order to study allophones, we do need to have a great deal of

knowledge about “aspiration” (the small puff of air that does follow the sound).
Aspiration mark --> /h/. Whereas to study phonemes, we do need to have a
great deal of knowledge about “Minimal pairs” (When two different words are
exactly the same in every way except for one sound segment that occurs in the
same place in the string, we say that these words are “Minimal pairs”)

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