Phonetics Midterm 1

• Physical aspects of sound
• Studies variations in sounds are made that don't change the meaning of a word

Smallest unit of sound

• Focuses on language and meaning
• Studies how sounds contrasts to produce differences in meaning
• Studies rules on how to combine sounds in words

Includes symbols that represent the speech sounds and symbols that represent the slight variation in the production of sounds

Includes speech symbols to represent speech sounds that can have linguistic signifance and establish word meaning

Smallest unit of language capable of carrying meaning

Life supporting task (eg. breathing)

Non-life sustaining tasks (eg. speech)

• Muscle relax during inhalation
• Diaphragm moves upward and ribs downward = thoracic cavity decrease in size
• Lung volume decreases
• Air rushes out due to resulting positive pressure

• Diapraghm contracts and moves downward
• Intercoastals and accessory muscles life the ribcage and the sternum swinging ribs up and out increasing size of thracic cavity
• Lung volume expands
• Air rushes in due to negative air pressure

• Air from lungs blows vocal folds apart
• Vocal folds quickly close due to elasticity of VF and Bermouli effect

Vocal tract assumes a unique shape for each phoneme which produces a unique vibration pattern for the production of each phoneme