English Phonology Concepts Explained
Phonological Processes
Gradation
Gradation is a process of phonetic changes where many unaccented syllables, which contain either a centralized vowel or no vowel at all, originally contained strong vowels that were gradually weakened or elided.
Example: Instrument
English Word Stress and Rhythm
Stress
Stress is the emphasis given to a word within a sentence or a syllable within a word. There are three main types of stress:
- Primary Stress: The strongest emphasis.
- Secondary Stress: A weaker emphasis, often
English Consonant Release Types and Features
English Consonant Release Types
Aspiration
Aspiration is a period of voiceless air after the release of a consonant, particularly in English voiceless plosives. It is diacritically marked as (h). There is strong aspiration following voiceless plosives at the beginning of a stressed syllable (only /p/, /t/, /k/). Aspiration is absent when voiceless plosives are preceded by the alveolar fricative /s/ in the same syllable. Thus, /s/ + /p, t, k/ results in unaspirated plosives.
Nasal Release
Nasal release
Read MorePhonetics Fundamentals: Consonant and Syllable Analysis
Consonants: Production and Classification
Consonant sounds are produced with a constriction or obstruction of the air expelled at some point in the throat or mouth.
Consonant Classification Criteria
Voicing
Voicing refers to the vibration of the vocal cords during the articulation of a consonant sound. Consonants produced with vocal cord vibration are called voiced, while those produced without vibration are called voiceless.
Place of Articulation
This criterion refers to the specific location in the
Read MoreUnderstanding Consonant Sounds: Articulation and Classification
Consonants
Producing a consonant involves some kind of constriction above the level of the glottis. Consonants are classified according to three parameters:
Voicing
When the vocal folds vibrate, we get a voiced sound (vowels and some consonants); if not, then the sound is called voiceless.
Voiced: /b, d, g, v, ð, z, ʒ, d͡ʒ, m, n, ŋ, l, r, j, w/
Voiceless: /p, t, k, f, θ, s, ʃ, t͡ʃ, h/
Place of Articulation
This specifies where the airstream is constricted. According to this parameter, we distinguish
Read MoreSound Change: Origins, Regularity, and Assimilation
Unit 4: Sound Change
Sound change is the appearance of a new phenomenon in the phonetic/phonological structure of a language.
Origin and Spread of Sound Changes: Two Views
- Neogrammarian: Sound change is mechanical and relentless and admits no exceptions.
- Lexical Diffusion: (a more satisfactory answer) Not all words are affected by a change simultaneously. Changes eventually fizzle out, and some words are left unaffected.
The Nature of Sound Change
- Regularity: regular vs. sporadic sound changes
- Context
English Phonetics: Pronunciation Rules and Intonation
Pronunciation Rules
- Dentalization: (n, t, d) + ð
- Glottalization: t + consonant (e.g., fútbol, that chair)
- Elision: In a cluster of 3 consonants (t, d) in the middle (e.g., I moved to England)
- Coalescence: t + j = ʧ; d + j = ʤ
- Word Boundaries: won’t + a
- Aspiration: (p, t, k) + a vowel in a stressed syllable (e.g., people)
- Devoicing: (p, t, k) + w, j, l, r approximants in a stressed syllable (e.g., play)
- Dark L:
- Final position, after a vowel (e.g., feel, fill)
- After a vowel, before a consonant (e.g., help,