Phonetics and phonology

1. Phonetics andPhonetics and
PhonologyPhonology
Introduction toIntroduction to Phonetics and PhonologyPhonetics and Phonology
Basic TerminologyBasic Terminology
Prepared by Zhian Fadhil AsaadPrepared by Zhian Fadhil Asaad

2. Definitions of Language &
Linguistics
What is Language?
Saussure says that“language Its both social product
of the faculty of speech and a collection of necessary
conventions that have been adopted by a social body
to permit individuals to exercise that faculty ,and
language unlike speaking is some thing that we can
study separately".
(Ferdinand de Saussure, 1966 :p:9 )
• According to Chomsky : Language is a set of
finite or infinite number of sentences .and its consists
of physical events and objects, whether the sounds of
speech or the symbols of writing .
• (V.J.Cook&Mark Newson,2007:p4)

3. Languages have Different:
Accents: They are pronounced differently by people
from different geographical places, from different
social classes of different ages and different
educational backgrounds.
Dialect: refers to a variety of a language which is
different from others not just in pronunciation but
also in such matters as vocabulary, grammar, and
word order .(Peter Roach,2000:p:2)

4. What is Linguistics?
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language-is to
describe language and to explain the unconscious
knowledge all speakers have of their language. (Falk,1978)
Linguistics is the study of language in general and of
particular language, their structure ,grammar and history
(Longman,2003,p:942)
According to Lyon Linguistics is descriptive, not
prescriptive to say that linguistics is descriptive science it
means that the linguist tries to discover and record the
rules to which the numbers of language – community
actually conform and doesn’t seek to impose upon them
other rules ,or norms of correctness.
(John Lyon,1981,p:47-48)

5. What is Phonetics?
• Phonetics: Is the science which studies the
characteristics of human sound making, especially
those sounds used in speech, and provides
methods for their description,classification and
transcription. (Crystal, 2003,p:236)
Phonetic science is concerned with the objective
description and analysis of all aspects of speech.
The representation of speech depends upon
treating it as a succession of sounds. The
International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) aims to
provide a symbol for any sound in any language .
(Michael Ashby & John Maidment)

6. The Branches of Phonetics
The Branches of Phonetics are as
following :
• Articulatory phonetics: is the study of the way
speech sounds are made (articulated) by the vocal
organs.
• Acoustic phonetics: studies the physical
properities of speech sound, as transmitted between
mouth and ear.
• Auditory phonetics: Studies the perceptual
response to speech sounds as mediated by ear;
auditory nerve and brain.
We used square brackets – [ ] - when sounds are being
discussed from a phonetic point of view.
• (Crystal, 2003 ,p:236)

7. What is Phonology?
Phonology: Its a branch of Linguistics which studies
the sound system of Languages and of the general
properities displayed by these systems.
(Crystal, 2003,p:236)
Phonology : is the study of all aspects of the sounds
and sound system of a language, and its based on
what we unconsciously know about sound patterns
of our language. Phonology is concerned with
abstract or mental aspect of sound in languages
rather than with actual physical articulation of speech
sounds.(Yule,1996,Falk,1978)

8. The difference between
Phonetics & Phonology
• Phonology contrast with phonetics, which studies all
possible sounds that the human vocal apparatus can
make, phonology studies only those contrasts in
sound (the phonemes) which makes differences of
meaning within language.
When we talk about the sound system of English, we
are referring to the number of phonemes which are
used in a language and to how they are organized. To
say there are '20' vowels in particular accent means
that there are '20' units which can differentiate word
meaning: /e/ is different from /i:/,for example set and
seat .We used slant brackets-//- when sounds are
being discussed from phonological point of view.
• (Crystal, 2003,p:236)

9. What is the aim of studying
Phonology?
The aim of phonology is not only to establish the set of
phonemes in a language, but also the patterning of
these sounds, both dynamic and static. Patterns of
changes in the pronunciation of words (alternations)
often result from the operation of phonological
processes, the same general types of process being
found widely in languages.
(Michael Ashby & John Maidment, Introducing Phonetic Science)

10. References
1. David Crystal,2003,A Dictionary of Linguistics &
Phonology,5th
ed.,UK, Blackwell.
2. David Crystal,2003,The Cambridge encyclopedia of the
English Language,2nd
ed., UK, Cambridge.
3. Ferdinand de Saussure,1966,Course in General
Linguistics,1st
ed., US.
4. John Lyon,1981,Language &Linguistics,1st
ed., UK,
Cambridge.
5. V.J. Cook & Mark Newson,2007,Chomskys Universal
Grammar,3rd
ed., UK, Blackwell.
6. Longman,2003,Dictionary of Temporary English,4th
ed.,
British Library.
7. Peter Roach,2000,English Phonetics & Phonology,3rd
ed.,
UK, Cambridge.
8. Seyyed Ayatollah Razmjoo,2004,Fundamental Concepts in
Linguistics,1st
ed., Tahran, Gawhar Andesha .
9. Michael Ashby & John Maidment, Introducing Phonetic
Science.