Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja: English Phonology

UNIVERSIDAD TCNICA PARTICULAR DE LOJA
Johnny Marcelo Pancha Ramos


MODALIDAD ABIERTA Y A DISTANCIA

ENGLISH PHONOLOGY
EVALUACION A DISTANCIA
PRIMER BIMESTRE

CIENCIAS DE LA EDUCACIN MENCIN INGLS

PANCHA RAMOS JOHNNY MARCELO
1714747506

PERIODO
OCTUBRE 11 - FEBRERO 12

QUINTO CICLO

QUITO, 15 DE NOVIEMBRE 2011


A. Do the following activities:
STRATEGY: Read Chapters 1, 2 and 3.
I. Complete the following sentences with the correct choice

1. The theory about speech sounds and their use in language is called _Phonetics and Phonology_.
2. Sounds used in language are called _Phonemes_.
3. The representation of speech sounds used in language is called _transcription_.
4. During the course new technical words would appear in _bold_.
5. The language used by people from different social classes, geographical areas or educational
backgrounds is called _accent_.
6. The language which is different in pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and word order is
called_dialect_.
7. The new name given to the accent recommended for this course and for foreigners studying
English is _BBC pronunciation_.
8. Sounds are the result of _muscle contracting_.
9. The airflow needed for producing speech sounds is produced by _muscles for breathing
10. The air that leaves the larynx goes through the _vocal tract_.
11. In the _larynx_. are made many modifications

12. The vocal tract ends in two cavities. They are _oral and nasal_.
13. A vowel in which the tongue is very near the palate is called _close_.
14. A vowel in which the tongue is very far from the palate is called _open_.
15. A vowel in which the front part of the tongue is involved is called _front_.

16. A vowel in which the back part of the tongue is involved is called _back_.

17. A standard reference system of vowels _cardinal_.
18. , I, e, , , are _short_ vowels.
19. i:, :, :, :, u: a _long_ vowels.
20. Sounds which do not obstruct the flow of air _vocoids_.
21. Sounds which do obstruct the flow of air _contoids_.
22. Sounds in which the tongue starts in one position and ends in another _diphthongs_.
23. Sounds in which there is not movement of the tongue _pure vowels_.
24. Sounds in which the tongue moves to one position and then to another one _triphthong_.
25. Sounds whose glide is to or to are called _closing diphthongs_.

II. Write T for TRUE or F for false. Give the reason why the false ones are false.
1. __T__ In the production of a plosive sound there is first a stricture and then a release of air.
2. __F__ All plosive sounds are articulated in one place of articulation.
EXPLANATION: The plosives have different places of articulation.
3. __F__ In the production of all plosive sounds there is not vibration of the vocal folds at all.
EXPLANATION: In the productions of all plosive sounds there are four phase in the productions.
4. __F__ In rapid speech and in initial position the plosives b, d and g are voiced.
EXPLANATION: These plosive are voiceless.
5. __T__ Aspiration is a process by which the air leaving the vocal folds makes a sound like h.

6. __T__ If we use different allophones in a word there is not a change in meaning, but if we use different
phonemes a change in meaning can occur.
7. __T__ Phonetics studies the description of sounds and Phonology the function and the relationship
among the different phonemes.
8. __T__ In the production of a fricative sound there is a narrow passage to make a hissing sound.
9. __T__ A continuant sound is a fricative one.
10. __F__ In the word ride the vowel before d is a long one.
EXPLANATION: This is an open vowel.
11. __T__ The h of the word hair takes the quality of e, and the h of the word hotel takes the quality of o.
12. __T__ l, m, n and are shortened when they are followed by a voiceless plosive sound.
13. __F__ In the production of sounds such as m, n and the air escapes through the mouth.
EXPLANATION: In the productions of sounds such as m, n and the air escapes through the nose or
nasal cavity.
14. __T__ Lateral l has three allophones.
15. __T__ In words such as plate ,pride, type or twist the consonants l, r, y and w are devoiced and
fricative.
16. __T__ The r sound is pronounced with the lips rounded and it occurs only before vowels.
17. __F__ w and j are studied and defined only from a phonological point of view.
EXPLANATION: Are studied and define only from a phonological and phonetically point of view.
18. __T__ Consonant clusters can occur in initial or final position
19. __T__ There is one type of initial and final consonant clusters.
20. __T__ h, w, j can occur in word-final position.


ACTIVITY ONE: Answer the following questions. Be brief but go to the point. Provide your own examples.
We wont grade literal copies or examples from the book. Provide your own definitions and examples.

1) What is the difference between p, t, k and b, d , g in initial position?
These plosives changes the form during the phase in the productions, these changes produces between
p , t ,k and b ,d , g; for example

Closing Phase

These phase for p, t, k b, d, g takes silently

Compression Phase

The p , t , k isnt voicing b ,d, g has a little voicing , that could be change if these are
pronouncing in initial position make these fully voiced

2) What is distribution?
Distributions is a way to kwon the organization of different and particular sounds that are produce,
making an analyze about the context and the positions. In these matter involves vowels and
consonants found a lot of manner distribution.

3) What is voicing?
Is the name gave to the vibrations of the vocal folds, that names phonation too.


4) When does devoicing occur? Give your own examples.
A voiceless obstruent at the end of a syllable that show up as voiced when it occurs with inflectional
suffix starting with a vowel in the other words in other words if it appears in an onset
Blin[t] blind

When p , t , k come at the beginning of a syllable are followed by a vowel.

Play plei / Tray trei

5) What is the difference between a fortis and a lenis sound? Examples
The most reasonably difference into fortis and lenis sound is that a fortis sound needs more higher
pressure of air trough the vocal tract; with this explanation we can define that the different is the
force of the articulations.

6) What is a phoneme?
Is the basic unit of phonology , specified is a group of letters of a alphabet that use to identify the
sound of vowels and consonants

7) What is an allophone?
Allophone occurs when a phoneme has a different explanation; example when a sound is clear
when it occurs before a vowel and dark if it occurs after a vowel; these two kinds of realization are
called allophones.

8) What is complementary distribution?

Is the relationship between two different elements, where one element is found in a
Particular environment and the other element are found in the opposite environment.
If often indicates that two superficially different elements are in fact the same
Linguistic unit at a deeper level, in some instances more than two elements can be in
Complementary distribution with one to another.
9) How many kinds of transcriptions are there and what does each one of them consist on?

Phonemic transcription

This kind of transcription the speech sounds are identified like a phoneme and have an appropriate symbol for you
write.
In this kind of transcription there some exercise like these:

Transcription fro dictation. - It is an activity where the student here a paragraph from a TV, radio.
Recording or from a person and he should write that he hear.

Transcription from written text. - This activity the student should write a text using the phonemic symbols
from a letter or paragraph that he received.

Phonetic transcription.

In this type of transcription involve knowledge about quality of the sounds.

Narrow phonetic transcription.- it is a total transcription about the quality of the sounds

Broad phonetic transcription. - It some similar that a narrow transcriptions with the difference that it include
information about phonemic transcription.
10) Why the sequence kf is considered to be homorganic? By a fricative

This sequence is considerer homorganic because it is a common relation between a plosive that is following
11) What is the relation between m, n and and the pairs of plosives pb, td, kg?
They are fricatives and are continuant consonants
12) When the sequence g is pronounced with g and when it is pronounced without g? Provide your
Own examples.
When occurs without a following g if it occurs at the end of a morpheme and if we find in the middle
part of the morpheme is following by g.
Spring spr
Ruling rul
13) Why sound l is considered to be lateral?
Because, this consonant has an n particular way to produce, that the air goes into the mouth is not
common, these air flow doesnt through a space between the tongue mit the roof of the mouth as a
result this air goes to the sides of the tongue.

14) Why do we say that j and w are phonetically vowels and phonologically consonants? Give your
own examples.
The most important thing to remember about these phonemes is that they are phonetically like
vowels but phonologically like consonants, the phonetic point of view about the articulations of j is
practically the same as that a front close vowel such as but is very short , the same situation occurs
with w.
Fuse fjuz equal ikwl
Document dkjment equestrian ikwestrian

15) What is the structure of a syllable? Give your own examples.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE ENGLISH SYLLABLE
The configuration of a syllable consist in different kind and form that the syllables are
structured

Z
E
R
O

O
N
S
E
T
It represents the syllable that appears in initial position of any word
that begins with a vowel. If the syllable start with a consonant in initial
position could be with any consonant phoneme except , is not
common.

C
O
N
S
O
N
A
N
T

C
L
U
S
T
E
R

There are syllables that beginning with two or more consonants
together. The principal characteristic is this syllable is they have a sort
composed of followed by one of a small set of consonants.
P
R
E
-

I
N
I
T
I
A
L

I
N
I
T
I
A
L

This cluster is with other consonants like are like initial.

I
N
I
T
I
A
L

P
O
S
T
-
I
N
I
T
I
A
L
The other sort begins with of a set of about fifteen consonants
followed a set of we can call the first consonant like initial and
the second like post initial but there are some restrictions on which
consonants are together

Z
E
R
O

C
O
D
A
In some cases there are no final consonant in this aspect is called a
zero coda.

F
I
N
A
L

P
R
E
-
F
I
N
A
L

P
O
S
T
-
F
I
N
A
L

When the word end in one consonant it is called final; in the final
consonant is precede by a pre final consonant and another final
consonant is followed by a post final consonant-
Pre final consonant:
Post final consonant:
RHYME

It is a syllable where are the
vowel and the coda
PEAK

It is one part of the rhyme and
is common that is vowel
CODA
It is a optional part of the
rhyme but is a one
characteristic of the
syllable


16) How is a syllable defined from a phonological and phonetical point of view?
Phonetically syllables are describe like consisting of a centre, we can find little
obstruction or in some cases there is not obstruction to airflow as a result we have
sounds comparatively loud. The sound depends of the obstruction to the airflow.

Phonological we can see something that involver looking at the possible combinations
of English phonemes; that matter which study the possible phonemes combinations is
the phonotactics.
ACTIVITY TWO: Read Chapter 4 and write a summary.
STRATEGY:
Read Chapter 4 (complete) and refer to all the subtopics. Remember no to copy exact words from the book, be
creative and use your imagination to get a good summary.

VOICING AND CONSONANTS
THE LARYNX
The larynx consists of four basic anatomic components:
cartilaginous skeleton
intrinsic muscles
extrinsic muscles
a mucosal lining
The cartilaginous skeleton of the larynx, which has into the vocal cords, is made up of the thyroid,
cricoid, and arytenoid cartilages. These cartilages are connected to other structures of the head and
neck through the extrinsic muscles. The intrinsic muscles of the larynx alter the position, shape and
tension of the vocal cords.

Functions of the Larynx
The larynx functions in swallowing, breathing, and voice production.
The production of voice can be thought of in terms of three components:
the production of airflow
the generation and resonance of sound
the articulation of voice

Production of Airflow
The lungs first supply adequate airflow to overcome the resistance of the closed vocal cords. The
vocal cords are finely tuned neuromuscular units that adjust pitch, loudness, and tone by altering
their position and tension.
Sound Production
The following diagram illustrates the vocal cord vibration cycle that occurs 200 to 400 times a
second during sound production that is phonation.
The rapid opening and closing of the vocal cords occur in a vibratory pattern and are responsible for
sound production. Thus, any structural, inflammatory, or neoplastic lesion of the vocal cord affects
voice production and quality.
Glottis
This is the opening space between the focal folds, when they are apart that call is the glottis is open;
in the moment when the vocal folds are together the glottis is closed. Beside this, the vocal folds can
move into different positions

Wide apart, in this way the vocal folds are in a position that they are breathing and this
moment is voiceless consonants like p, f, s.

Narrow glottis, in this moment when the air is passed into the vocal folds the glottis is
narrowed. The fricative sound is produce with the symbol h.

Vocal folds vibration, this action is produce when the vocal folds are touching each other, in
some case the vocal folds are nearly touching so making the air passing trough into the vocal
folds producing a vibration, this effect is rapidly.

Vocal folds tightly that effect is when the glottis are pressed firmly and the air cannot pass
between them. It cans kwon like glottal stop or glottal plosive.
RESPIRATION AND VOICING
Voicing
The aspect of defining contrast for obstruent like plosives and fricatives.
Voicing relates to vocal fold vibration, typically seen as presence that is voiced in contrast that that
absence is voiceless and slightly more complicated aspiration and vocal fold vibration is periodic.
Airstream mechanisms
Pulmonic; movement of lung air by respiratory muscles.
Glottalic: movement of pharynx air by action of glottis.
Velaric: movement of mouth air by action of tongue.
Egressive: outward-moving
Ingressive: inward-moving
Plosive: stop made with airstream mechanism (lung air pushed out)

Implosive: stop made with ingressive glottalic airstream mechanism (vibrating glottis moves
down)
Ejective: stop made with egressive glottalic airstream mechanism (closed glottis moves up)
When the vocal folds vibrate this aspect is call voicing or phonation, in this way we can differentiate
a voice like singing, shouting and speaking quietly. The vocal fold can modify the voice in the like
they modify the time or the form that they are pressed together.
The subglottal pressure is produce when below the vocal folds and they can be found in three
differences.
Variation in intensity - is produce in when speaking quietly.
Variation in frequency - when the vocal folds are vibrates rapidly.
Variation in quality when the speaking is low voice like murmured or breathy.

PLOSIVES
The plosives have the following characteristics:
The plosive is released when the air pass behind the stricture and that is close with a
pressure. The air has the possibility to escape making a loud sound that is called plosion.
The articulators have movements into another producing strictures that dont permit the air
can escape from the glottis.
When the stricture has formed and the air is compressed, following step is the released, as
result the air is allowed to escape.
All the plosive articulation has a during voicing.


Plosives has four phases when we talk about the production
Closing phase - articulators move to form stricture for the plosive.
Compression phase - moment that the air is compressed and stop in the moment escape.
Released phase - articulators use to form the stricture can move as to permit the air escape.
Post-released phase - is the process that continuant after de released phase.
ENGLISH PLOSIVES

English languages there are six plosives; they are p, t, k, b, d, g; these plosives can be in different
places of articulation:
p and b ; the lips are pressed together ( bilabial).

t and d ; the tongue (blade) is pressed against the alveolar ridge.

k and g ; the tongue (back) is pressed in the area the hard palate.
All this plosives can occur:
INITIAL POSITION - at beginning of a word
MEDIAL POSITION - between other sounds
FINAL POSITION - at the end of a word

FORTIS AND LENIS


The Fortis and lenis distinction is usually thought of as the voiced/voiceless distinction in
consonants. This is the distinction between the initial sounds.

Voicing is of course an important aspect of this distinction; so important that generative linguists
often mark the distinction with the feature. But voicing is not the only feature of the distinction, and in
some cases it does not figure at all.
For instance, both lenis and Fortis stops (plosives) are unvoiced. In English, lenis stops can be half-
voiced or even unvoiced at the ends of words.
Fortis characteristic:
unvoiced
slightly longer than lenis consonants
they can have aspiration (post aspiration in English, pre- and post-aspiration in
Icelandic)
they can be glottalized in English
they are stronger than lenis consonants
lenis characteristic:
often voiced (but not always, or not always fully)
slightly shorter than Fortis consonants
are not aspirated
are weaker than Fortis consonants.

ACTIVITY THREE: Define all the following terms and provide all the sounds for each group of
consonants.
STRATEGY: Read Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7 where you will find the definitions. Do not copy whole paragraphs, write
just the definition for each term. In the case of definition for consonants add the corresponding sounds for each
group. Remember, literal copies

C
L
A
S
S
I
F
I
C
A
T
I
O
N

O
F

C
O
N
S
O
N
A
N
T
S

C
L

Voicing
Refers to the activity of
the vocal chords.
Voiced- are sounds in which there is vibration of the vocal cords and
consequently tone.
They are: /b/ (beard) - /l/ (let) - /d/ (day) - /g/ (gum) - /m/ (mother)

Voiceless- are sounds in which there is no vibration of the vocal cords.
They are: /p/ (pool) - /t/ (tea) - /k/ (kiss)

Manner of
Articulation
Refers to the degree or
type of obstruction to
the air flow.
Stops or plosive- are sounds produced by a momentary complete
stoppage of the air stream, followed by the release of the resultant air
pressure in the form of a small explosion.
They are:
Voiced: /b/ (crab), /d/ (blood) /g/ (bag)
Voiceless: /p/ (slap), /t/ (time), /k/ (cold)
Fricatives- are sounds produced by forcing the air stream through a
narrow opening, creating a friction noise.
They are:
Voiced: /v/ (very), // (bathe), /z/ (zoo, wise), /z/ (measure)
Voiceless: /f/ (laugh), // (thigh), /s/ (soup) // (shock, nation), /h/ (hope)
Affricates.- are sounds produced by a stricture of complete closure
followed by released of the air-stream through a stricture of dose
approximation.
They are: /t/ (lunch, chapter) /dz/ (germ, journal)
Nasals.- Speech sound produced by lowering the velum and permitting
the air stream to flow through the nose.
They are: /m/ (mind, sum) - /n/ (now, sign) - // (sing, longer, bank)
Lateral.- are sounds produced by air escaping on one or both side of the
tongue.
They are: /l/ (lady) (all), /t/ (bottle) /d/ (cuddle)
R-sounds.- a special group of sounds derived from the consonant /r/.
they are:
TAP-R SOUNDS:- sound produced by the tongue tapping once against a
place of articulation r.
Example: parts
RETROFLEX-R SOUNDS.- sound produced with the tongue tip turned
back toward the hard palate. Example: Rock
Semiconsonants.- vowel like sound which structures like a consonant.
They are: /y/ (yes) /w/ (wet) /r/ (room)

Place of Articulation.-
Refers to the vocal
Bilabials.- are sounds that produced by bringing the upper and low lip
together.
They are: /p/ (pin) - /b/ (ball) - /m/ (men) - /w/ (wet)
Labiodentals.- consonant produced by the lower lip against the upper
teeth.
They are: /v/ (visit) - /f) (food)
Dentals or Interdentals.- are sounds produced with the tongue tip
against the teeth.
They are:// (thin) - // (then)
Alveolars.- are sounds produced by raising the tongue apex toward the

A
S
S
I
F
I
C
A
T
I
O
N

O
F

C
O
N
S
O
N
A
N
T
S
tract where a speech
sound is produced with
the greatest degree of
obstruction.

alveolar ridge. Alveolar ridge is a gum ridge behind the upper teeth.
They are: /t/ (cat) /d/ (day) /s/ (sun) /z/ (zero) /l/ (lemon)
/n/ (need) /r/ (red)
Palatals.- are sounds produced with the front of the tongue raised
towards the hard palate. it is also called Fronto-Palatal consonant,
They are:/t/ (church), /dz/ (jeep), // (shine), /z/ (zoo), /z/ (measure) /j/
(yes)
Velars.- are sounds produced by raising the back of the tongue toward
the velum.
They are: /k/ (kill), /g/ (get) // (sing)
Glottals.- are sounds produced in the larynx due to the narrowing of the
glottis.
They are: /h/ (happy).

FRICATIVES AND AFFRICATES NASALS AND OTHER CONSONANTS
F
R
I
C
A
T
I
V
E
S

L
E
N
N
I
S

LABIODENTAL, that is, the lower lip is
in contact with Upper teeth
N
A
S
A
L
S

The basic characteristic of a nasal consonant is that the air

DENTAL fricatives are sometimes
described as if the tongue we placed
between the teeth,

escapes
through the nose. However air does not pass through the
mouth There are three types of closures are: bilabial ,
alveolar and velar this set of places produces three nasal
consonant M,N,N which correspond to the
three places of articulation for the pairs of plosives pb , td , kd
POST-ALVEOLAR fricative with the
same place of articulation as t and d.
the air escapes through a narrow
passage along the centre of the tongue

F
O
R
T
I
S

C
O
N
S
O
N
A
N
T

L

LATERAL consonant is one in which the passage of air
through the mouth does
Not go in the usual way along the centre of the tongue. There
is a complete closure between the centre of the tongue and
the part of the roof of the mouth where contact is to be made.
You can feel the movement of air past sides of the tongue;
this is not really possible in a voices sound but if you try to
make a very loud whispered you should be able to feel the air
rushing along the sides of your tongue
A
F
F
R
I
C
A
T
I
V
E
S

There are the only two affricate phonemes in English.
As with plosives and most of the fricatives, we have a
fortis/lenis pair, and
Voicing characteristics are the
same as for these other
consonants. it is slightly
aspirated in the positions where p, t, k are aspirated,
Not strongly enough for it to be necessary for foreign
learners to give much attention to it. The place of
articulation
C
O
N
S
O
N
A
N
T

R

This consonant is important in that considerable differences
in it articulation and its distribution are found in different
accents o English. An approximant, as a type of consonant, is
rather difficult t describe; informally, we can say that it is an
articulation in which the articulators approach each other but
do not get sufficiently close td each other to produce a
complete consonant such as a plosive nasal or fricative.
F
O
R
T
I
S

C
O
N
S
O
N
A
N
T
S

The first point concerns the shortening of a preceding
vowel
by syllable-final fortis
consonant. , the effect most
noticeable in the case of long vowels and diphthongs,
although it does also affect short vowels.
C
O
N
S
O
N
A
N
T

J

A
N
D

W

Articulation of J is practically the same as that of a front
close, but is very short. In the same way W is closely. If you
make the initial sound of wet or yet very long, you will be
able to hear this. But despite this vowel-like character, we
use then like consonants.
The J and W sounds are and are slightly fricative in these
contexts. For place of articulation, we regard j as palatal and
w as bilabial.

GLOTTALISED a glottal stop occurs just before p, t, k
or tf, is in only found in certain context. more
conservative pronunciation and not try to use
glottalisation

Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja: English Phonology

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UNIVERSIDAD TCNICA PARTICULAR DE LOJA

Johnny Marcelo Pancha Ramos

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