LIGN 101 - Phonetics I

### Download an IPA chart and reference guide from Canvas files!

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# Phonetics: The Sounds of Language

### Will Styler - LIGN 101

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### Today's Plan

- How does speech work?

- How can we write down speech?

- How do we describe consonants?

- How do we describe vowels?

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## How does speech work?

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### The Speech Process

* Flapping bits of meat inside your head while blowing out air

* This creates vibrations in the air you're expelling

* The ear picks these up, and inteprets them as speech.

* This process is studied in **Phonetics**

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### The Lungs

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### Flapping bits of meat ("articulation")

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### Simplified a bit...

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### You will not be responsible for any anatomical terms not required for transcription on exams
	
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### The Tongue

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### Let's do an experiment

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> The North Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger, when a traveler came along wrapped in a warm cloak.

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### Speech is absolutely insane

- It's a series of fluid and overlapping gestures

- It's amazingly complex

- ... and it's nothing like we think it is

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### How do we wrap our heads around it?

- First, we break speech into 'segments' or 'phones'

- Then, we figure out how to describe those phones and their properties

- This lets us *transcribe* what was said, rather than what words were said

- But first you need to realize that...

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## Your writing system is a trainwreck

- <img class="r-stretch" src="humorimg/trainwreck.png">

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### Your writing system is lying to you

- Every minute of every day

- "They thoroughly and roughly wrought the boughs in the borough, through and through"
	
	- C doesn't exist
	
	- The 'ee' in 'pee' is silent
	
	- The 'e'
	
	- TH is neither a t nor an h, and represents two different sounds

- ... and if you start thinking about letters, you're going to start struggling

- For this class, consider your writing system with the same skepticism you would normally reserve for a guy with a broken bottle walking towards you in a dark alley.

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### ... but wait, speech is super complicated

- Our writing system is lying to us

- Many languages don't have writing systems

- ... and we still need to write down what was said in them

- ## Is there no hope?!

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(Nah, it's cool, we've got the IPA!)

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### The International Phonetic Alphabet

- A system for *transcribing* what was said, that's based on *describing* individual phones

- We'll discuss a reduced set of the IPA focusing on the English language in this class

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### The International Phonetic Alphabet

- A system for *transcribing* what was said, that's based on *describing* individual phones

- The IPA should be able to transcribe speech in *any* human language or dialect

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### The IPA allows us to 'transcribe' speech

- You throw away the writing system, and write down the *sequence of sounds* being produced

- "Black Lives Matter"

- In Will's dialect: /blæk lajvz mæɾəɹ/

- Note the /z/, and the /ɾ/ tap, and the lack of "c"

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### The Entire IPA is shown on the IPA chart
	
	<img class="r-stretch" src="phonmedia/ipa_chart.jpg">

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## Important Note: Most Online IPA Charts with Sound are awful!

- ipachart.com is bad and should feel bad

- <https://savethevowels.org/ipa> is not

- [Here's the International Phonetic Association's Version](https://www.internationalphoneticassociation.org/IPAcharts/inter_chart_2018/IPA_2018.html)
	
- If you're just typing IPA, you can use [this tool](https://wstyler.ucsd.edu/intipa/#/keyboard)
	
- Use the quick reference guide too!

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### We have a new tool!

## <http://savethevowels.org/ipa>

- Give this a try to see audio and video of IPA sounds!

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### To understand the IPA, you need to understand how sounds work
	
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## How do we describe how speech sounds are made?

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### We break the world into two kinds of speech sounds

- **Consonants:** Constrict, obstruct, or divert air in the vocal tract when being produced

- **Vowels:** Shape the (unobstructed) vocal tract to change the sound emitted

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## Describing Consonants

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### Three steps to describing Consonants

* We need to know three things:

* **Place**: Where is the sound made?

* **Manner**: What are we doing there?

* **Voicing**: Are we making voicing?

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## Place

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### Place of Articulation

- Where is the sound being made?

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### Place

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### Place

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### Place

* **Bilabial**: As in "***b***oy"

* **Labiodental**: As in "***V***ote"

* **Interdental**: As in "***Th***ose"

* **Alveolar**: As in "***T***o***t***e***s***!"

- Your alveolars may be *dental*

* **Postalveolar**: As in "***J***u***dge***"
	- Your textbook calls these 'palatal'
	- We'll accept either for this class

* **Velar**: As in "Ta***c***o***c***at"

* **Glottal**: As in "Uh***-***oh!"	
	
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<section class="clicker"></section>

### The first and last sounds in "King" are...

A) **Bilabial**: As in "***B***at***m***an isn't ***m***e!"

B) **Labiodental**: As in "***V***owels aren't ***f***oul!"

C) **Alveolar**: As in "***T***o***t***e***s*** ***l***i***t***!"

D) **Postalveolar**: As in "***J***u***dgy*** ***Ch***eetahs"

E) **Velar**: As in "**G**o **c**all you**ng** **c**arpenters"

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### The first and last sounds in "King" are...

A) **Bilabial**: As in "***B***at***m***an isn't ***m***e!"

B) **Labiodental**: As in "***V***owels aren't ***f***oul!"

C) **Alveolar**: As in "***T***o***t***e***s*** ***l***i***t***!"

D) **Postalveolar**: As in "***J***u***dgy*** ***Ch***eetahs"

E) <correct>**Velar**: As in "**G**o **c**all you**ng** **c**arpenters"</correct>

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### There are other places English doesn't use

- 'Uvular' sounds are made involving the uvula

- As Cardi B says, 'that little dangly thang that swang in the back of my throat'

- The French "r" sound in 'rouge'

- 'Retroflex' sounds curl the tongue up and back

- Present in Hindi/Urdu, as well as many other languages!

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### Reference Diagrams for Place of Articulation

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### Bilabial

<img class="r-stretch" src="phonmedia/sag_bilabial.jpg">
	
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### Bilabial
	
<video data-autoplay width="600"  src="ipa/voiced_bilabial_stop.mp4"></video>

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### Dental

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<video data-autoplay  width="600"  src="ipa/voiced_dental_fricative.mp4"></video>

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### Alveolar

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### Alveolar
	
<video data-autoplay  width="600"  src="ipa/voiced_alveolar_stop.mp4"></video>

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### Retroflex

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### Retroflex
	
<video data-autoplay  width="600"  src="ipa/voiced_retroflex_stop.mp4"></video>

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### Palatal

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### Palatal

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### Velar

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### Velar

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### Uvular

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### Uvular
	
<video data-autoplay  width="600" src="ipa/voiced_uvular_stop.mp4"></video>

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## Manner of Articulation

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### Manner

"So what are you doing with the articulators?"

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### Manner

* **Stops**: Stop the airflow (also called 'plosives')
	- As in '**c**a**t** **d**o**ck**e**t**'

* ***Taps***: Throw your tongue against the roof of your mouth
	- As in 'la**t**er la**dd**er wi**nn**ers'

* **Fricatives**: Constrict the airflow to make sounds

- As in '**f**la**sh**y **s**o**v**iet **sh**i**f**ter**s**'

* **Nasals**: Channel the air out the nose

- As in 'wi**ng** **m**a**n** '
	
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### Oral Stop (/t/)

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### Oral Stop (/t/)

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### Nasal Stop (/n/)

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### Nasal Stop (/n/)
	
<video data-autoplay  width="600" src="ipa/voiced_bilabial_nasal.mp4"></video>

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### Manner (Continued)

* **Approximants**: Bring the tongue *toward* the place

- As in '**y**ou **w**ill'

* **Laterals**: Channel air *around* the tongue

- As in '**l**atera**l**s'

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### The initial sounds in "Taco Bell" are...

A) **Stops**: Stop the airflow

B) **Fricatives**: Constrict the airflow to make sounds

C) **Nasals**: Channel the air out the nose

D) **Approximants**: Bring the tongue *toward* the place

E) **Laterals**: Channel air *around* the tongue
<section class="clicker"></section>

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### The initial sounds in "Taco Bell" are...

A)<correct> **Stops**: Stop the airflow</correct>

B) **Fricatives**: Constrict the airflow to make sounds

C) **Nasals**: Channel the air out the nose

D) **Approximants**: Bring the tongue *toward* the place

E) **Laterals**: Channel air *around* the tongue

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### The initial sounds in "Feline Show" are...

A) **Stops**: Stop the airflow

B) **Fricatives**: Constrict the airflow to make sounds

C) **Nasals**: Channel the air out the nose

D) **Approximants**: Bring the tongue *toward* the place

E) **Laterals**: Channel air *around* the tongue

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### The initial sounds in "Feline Show" are...

A) **Stops**: Stop the airflow

B) <correct>**Fricatives**: Constrict the airflow to make sounds</correct>

C) **Nasals**: Channel the air out the nose

D) **Approximants**: Bring the tongue *toward* the place

E) **Laterals**: Channel air *around* the tongue

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## Voicing

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### Voicing

* Is the larynx buzzing, or not?

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Content Warning: Things are about to get weird.

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<video  class="r-stretch"  controls id="video">
<source src="video/laryngoscopy_transnasal.mp4">
</video>

[Video Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwAR7J9471M)
	
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## Let's pretend we're snakes eating bees!

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### Voiced vs. Voiceless

- Cats
- Bob
- Month
- Those
- Crash
- Judge

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### The initial sounds in "Phonetics wins popularity" are...

A) All Voiced

B) All Voiceless

C) Voiceless, Voiced, Voiceless

D) Voiced, Voiceless, Voiced

E) None of the above
	
<section class="clicker"></section>

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### The initial sounds in "Phonetics wins popularity" are...

A) All Voiced

B) All Voiceless

C) <correct>Voiceless, Voiced, Voiceless</correct>

D) Voiced, Voiceless, Voiced

E) None of the above

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### Three steps to describing Consonants

* We need to know three things:

* **Place**: Where is the sound made?

* **Manner**: What are we doing there?

* **Voicing**: Are we making voicing?

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### All consonants can be described this way

- /m/ - Voiced Bilabial Nasal

- /t/ - Voiceless Alveolar Stop

- /g/ - Voiced Velar Stop

- /f/ - Voiceless Labiodental Fricative

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### There are a couple of weird ones

- /ɹ/ - The English "R", a voiced 'alveolar' approximant
	- "Reed read the wrong resolution"
	- Super weird

- /w/ - A voiced labio-velar approximant
	- "Will would wisely watch the wind"
	- Has a voiceless version ("Cool whip" from Family Guy)

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### 'Affricates'

If you combine a fricative and a stop, you get an affricate

- **J**u**dg**e (dʒʌdʒ)

- **Ch**eese (tʃiz)

- Ca**ts** (kæts)

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Once we've organized sounds by place, manner, and voicing, we have...

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### English Consonants

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<img  class="r-stretch" src="phonmedia/ipa_consonants.jpg">

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### Can't figure out where in the mouth that is?

Ask [Sammy the Interactive Sagittal Section](http://smu-facweb.smu.ca/~s0949176/sammy/)!

- Or check UBC's [Enunciate](https://enunciate.arts.ubc.ca/) site

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### So, that's consonants.

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## Vowels!

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### Vowels are created by shaping your vocal tract

* A vowel is voicing passing through (and resonating in) an unobstructed vocal tract!

* If we change the position of the tongue, we change the resonances

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### Vowels are different from consonants

- They're always* voiced

- They can (and do) occur on their own. I.

- We describe vowels using different characteristics

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### How many vowels are present in Mainstream US English?

A) 5

B) 5, sometimes 6

C) 12

D) 17

E) 21
	
<section class="clicker"></section>

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### How many vowels are present in Mainstream US English?

A) 5

B) 5, sometimes 6

C) 12

D) <correct>17</correct>

E) 21

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### Reminder, your writing system is as trustworthy as a politician turned used-car-salesman

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<img class="r-stretch" src="phonmedia/aeiou_seq_1.jpg">
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<img class="r-stretch" src="phonmedia/aeiou_seq_2.jpg">
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<img class="r-stretch" src="phonmedia/aeiou_seq_3.jpg">
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<img class="r-stretch" src="phonmedia/aeiou_seq_4.jpg">
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<img class="r-stretch" src="phonmedia/aeiou_seq_5.jpg">
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<img class="r-stretch" src="phonmedia/aeiou_seq_6.jpg">
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<img class="r-stretch" src="phonmedia/aeiou_seq_7.jpg">
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<img class="r-stretch" src="phonmedia/aeiou_seq_8.jpg">
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### / i, ɪ, ɛ, æ, ə, əɹ, ʌ, ɑ, ɔ, ʊ, u /

- beet
- bit
- bet
- bat
- sof**a**
- bird
- but
- bot
- bought
- book
- boot

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/i/ - beet, see, seen, sear, seal

/ɪ/ - bit, sit, tin, sill

/ɛ/ - bet, set, sent, fair, sell

/æ/ - bat, sat, pant, pal

/ʌ/ - but, sun, pun, lull (ə in sofa, amount)

/əɹ/ - bird, purr, earl, butter, clamor (this is often broken into two vowels!)

/ɑ/ - bot, saw, star, paul, pawn, (cot*)

/ɔ/ - corn /kɔɹn/, boy /bɔj/ (caught*)

/ʊ/ - book, hood, puss

/u/ - boot, who’d, loose, lure, loon

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### Do you produce 'Cot' and 'Caught' differently?

A) Yes, they're two different vowels

B) No, they're the same vowel
	
<section class="clicker"></section>

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### A note on /ɔ/ vs. /ɑ/

- These are two vowels for some people
  - Cot (/ɑ/) vs. caught (/ɔ/)
  
- For many speakers, these have merged in all but a few cases
  - I am one of these speakers

- Even for me, “horse” and “corn” still have /ɔ/.  (/hɔɹs/ and /kɔɹn/)
  - Also, “boy” /bɔj/

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### What's the difference between /ʌ/ and /ə/?

- They sound the same, but we use /ə/ in *unstressed* positions in words

- If there's just one vowel in the word, and it sounds like 'uh', it's /ʌ/

- This is the same difference between /ɜ˞/ and /əɹ/ (although for this class, you can write /əɹ/ for both)

- More details [at this link](http://wstyler.ucsd.edu/posts/difference_schwa_wedge.html)

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### Describing Vowels

- For vowels, we talk about three additional dimensions

- 1- Where is the tongue in terms of height?
  - (High, Low, or Mid)
  - Also "Closed, Open, or Mid"

- 2- Where is the tongue in terms of horizontal space?
  - (Front, Central, or Back)

- 3- Are your lips rounded or not?

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### The IPA Vowel Chart

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<img class="r-stretch" src="phonmedia/ipa_vowels_with_tongue.jpg">
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### Diphthongs

- Vowels where the tongue moves through the mouth

- Start at one vowel, move to another vowel

- Things like “boy” (/ɔj/), “buy” (/aj/), “bay” (/ej/), “boat” (/ow/), “cow” (/aw/)

- Others are monophthongs

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### MUSE Diphthongs

/ɔj/ - boy, soy, toy, join, oil, Roy

/aj/ - buy, right, try, sigh, die, fire

/ej/ - play, bay, may, ray, lay, trail

/ow/ - boat, oat, wrote, pope, toll

/aw/ - how, now, brown, cow, prow, louse

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### So, Mainstream US English has lots of vowels

- 12 Monophthongs

- / i, ɪ, ɛ, æ, ə, ɜ˞, ə˞, ʌ, ɑ, ɔ, ʊ, u /

- 5 Diphthongs

- /ɔj, aj, ej, ow, aw/

- And we describe these vowels in terms of high-to-low, front-to-back, and rounded or not.

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### So, that's how we describe consonants and vowels

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### Wrapping it up

- Speech is crazy complicated

- The English writing system is a large lagoon of lies

- We describe consonants by talking about place, manner, and voicing

- The English writing system is a festival of falsehoods
			  
- We describe vowels by talking about height, front-back, and rounding

- The English writing system is a dumpster of deception

- The IPA can save us!

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### Next time...

- More on transcription, and some phonetic phun!
	
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### Download an IPA chart and reference guide from Canvas files or take one here!

<huge>Thank you!</huge>