PHO101 - Phonetics (Overview)

This introductory E-Lecture (on the VLC it is used in Unit 2 of the "Introduction to Linguistics Class") provides an overview of phonetics with a focus on articulatory phonetics using examples where possible.

[@TheAwesomeGingerGuy]

(0:00) Phonetics looks at human speech from three distinct but interdependent viewpoints. Articulatory phonetics studies how speech sounds are produced, auditory phonetics studies the way in which humans perceive speech sounds, and acoustic phonetics studies the physical properties of speech. Now, the names of these branches all use an initial letter A. Alternatively, you could use a P and associate [articulatory phonetics] with speech production, auditory phonetics with the perception of speech, and acoustic phonetics with the physics of speech - so here you have your initial characters P. A good way to remember these disciplines. (1:14) Let us look at the main goals of these branches first. (1:21) Articulatory phonetics investigates how speech sounds are produced. For example, speech sounds such as these vowels here: [i], or to use a second one, the vowel [y]. Or let's take consonants such as this one as in [p], versus, well let's take a more exotic one - this one here, as in, [kʼ]. (2:04) Now, the production and the description of these segments of speech involves some basic understanding of speech anatomy. For example, some knowledge about the lungs and the question [of] how the lungs produce the necessary energy in form of a stream of air. Or let's look at the larynx next. So here is the larynx which serves as a modifier to the airstream and is responsible for phonation. Well at last but not least, the vocal tract itself. Now, here is the vocal tract. And the vocal tract modifies and modulates the airstream by means of several articulator. Let's mark those articulators which are actively involved in the modification of the airstream - That's those four active articulators. (2:26) Now, furthermore, since all these speech sounds involve some sort of air, we have to look at the central airstream mechanisms, because… (3:39). So, you see, without airstream, nothing will happen. So, let's look at the airstream mechanism in some detail. Now, whereas in English all speech sounds are initiated by outward going egressive air from the lungs, other languages may use additional ways of producing an airstream. The following airstream mechanisms can theoretically be used in human speech. Well, most languages - in fact all languages - use speech sounds that are produced with egressive (that is, outward going) pulmonic (i.e., [coming] from the lungs) air. So, egressive pulmonic air, as in [pa], for example. Now you could use this ingressively - that is, inward directed - in situations when you sob or cry, such as (:). So, [that] was an ingressive pulmonic airstream, but you will certainly agree that this is a rather exceptional situation, so let's put this in brackets and mark it with a minus. The glottalic egressive airstream, which is produced here in the larynx, of course, exists in many languages. It can be used egressively, in sounds such as [?] or [?], and it can be used in ingressively, as in sounds like [?] and [?]. So here we have the ingressive glottalic airstream and the egressive one, coming from the glottis. And finally, we have the velaric airstream which cannot be used egressively. It is produced here - in the vocal tract itself, but in an ingressive form it can be used in sounds such as - and here I like this one - [?]. The symbol is nice, isn't it? For a kiss, it's this phonetic symbol. So, it can be used. (6:02) The combination of anatomical properties and the respective airstream allows us to precisely define all speech sounds that are used in natural language, where two types can be differentiated: vowels and consonants. Now, vowels allow an almost free passage of air through the vocal tract. The example that you can see here to my right is [i], and you see the air stream passes freely through the vocal tract and the lips have to be spread. Consonants, by contrast, involve some sort of obstruction to the airstream in the vocal tract. Here we have the example of [k] as in [aka]. Again. And you see, during the consonantal posture, some sort of closure has been created. Now, vowels and consonants are the basic segments of speech, just like the notes are basic segments in music. Together, vowels and consonants form syllables, they form larger units, and eventually utterances. (7:35) Superimposed on the segments are a number of additional features known as suprasegmentals or prosodic features. They do not characterize a single segment, but a succession of segments. The most important suprasegmentals features are stress, loudness, pitch, and length - and then we also have aspects such as secondary articulation. Now in music (to draw the parallel again) suprasegmental features would be something like crescendo, or something like diminuendo, or forte, to name a few. (8:16) The two remaining branches of phonetics are often treated in an interdisciplinary way by means of a combination with psychology, anatomy, acoustics, physiology, to name a few. Let us briefly discuss them. (8:35) Auditory phonetics investigates the processes underlying human speech perception. The starting point for an auditory analysis of speech is the study of the human hearing system - that is, the anatomy and physiology of the ear and the brain. Since the hearing system cannot react to all features present in a sound wave, it is essential to determine what we perceive and how we perceive. It this enormously complex field is referred to as speech perception. Well, if you want to find out more about this field, consult our e-lecture Pre-Lexical Processing 1. (9:27) Acoustic phonetics - and here you see some machines - studies the physical properties of the speech signal. This includes the physical characteristics of human speech, such as the frequency patterns involved, the analysis of friction noise, etc. There are numerous factors that complicate the straightforward analysis of the speech signal. For example, background noise, anatomical and physiological differences between me and you, and many more. These, and other aspects, contribute to the overall speech signal and are studied under the heading of acoustic phonetics. (10:16) This e-lecture is just an overview of the field. In future a lectures about phonetics, we will concentrate on articulatory phonetics and discuss the details of segmental and suprasegmental phonetics. We will look at consonants [and] at vowels. We will discuss aspects of stress pitch [and] loudness. And we'll illustrate our findings with numerous examples from the language index of the virtual linguistics campus. (10:50) By the way, in the toolbox (here is your toolbox), you have permanent free access to our interactive consonantal and vowel charts, and many more - so join us. (11:07) Okay, that's it for now. See you again in one of our e-lectures on phonetics, and, if you like, on the virtual linguistics campus.

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[@zulkiflijamil4033]

Hello Professor, this lecture of yours makes me become fascinated. A really beneficial lesson on phonetics. Thank you, sir. ✔

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[@morganga]

You say there's no such thing as an egressive verlair sound, but if an ingressive velaric sound is a kiss, ie pursing lips and decreasing pressure inside the mouth to force air inwards through the lips, would an egressive velaric sound be a raspberry noise, ie pursing lips and increasing the pressure inside the mouth to force air outwards? Seems a reasonable definition to me :)

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[@kirandeep298]

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[@user-cb6oi6xk4n]

Hi there! Tthank you for the video, it is really useful. I am not at all an expert in phonetics nor am I an English native speaker but I am studying Enlgish as a foreign language and I have studied some concepts about phonetics and phonology, and I have a doubt. You said in the video that velaric airstream cannot be used egressively; it is produced in the vocal tract itself. But, aren't /k/ and /g/ English sounds that are velar and egressive in terms of airstream mechanisms? Because the air comes out from the vocal tract, so, wouldn't they be egressive from the velum?

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