This document discusses the sound patterns of language. It defines phonology as the description of speech sound systems and patterns in a language. Phonology is concerned with the abstract set of sounds that distinguish meaning. Phonemes are the smallest units of sound that make a difference in meaning. Allophones are different versions of the same phoneme. The document discusses minimal pairs, phonotactics, syllable structure, consonant clusters, and coarticulation effects like assimilation and elision.

1. The sound patterns of
language
Presented By:- Muhammad Saeed

2. Introduction
 Obvious differences occur when a individual is shouting,
is suffering from a bad cold or is asking for a sixth
martini.
 How do we manage consistently to recognize all those
versions, for example of the word :
 me as the form [mi]
 not [ni] or [si] or [ma]
 or [mo] or something else entirely?
 Phonology.

3. Phonology
 Phonology from Greek φωνή, phōnḗ, "voice, sound," and
the suffix -logy (which is from Greek λόγος, lógos,
"word, speech, subject of discussion")
 Phonology is essentially the description of the systems
and patterns of speech sounds in a language.
 Phonology is concerned with the abstract set of sounds
in a language that allows us to distinguish meaning in
the actual physical sounds we say and hear.

4. Phonemes
o Each meaning-distinguishing
sounds in a language.
o When we learn to use
alphabetic writing, we are
actually using the concept of
the phoneme as the single
stable sound type which is
represented by a single
written symbol.
o An essential property of a
phoneme is that it functions
contrastively. This contrastive
property is the basic
operational test for
determining the phonemes
that exist in a language.
o The basic phonemes of
English are listed with the
consonant, vowel and
diphthong diagrams

5. Phones and allophones
 Phoneme: abstract unit or sound-type (“in the mind”), there are many different
versions of that sound-type regularly produced in actual speech (“in the
mouth”).
 What are the Phones? Phones are phonetic units and appear in square brackets.
 Allophones: When we have a set of phones, all of which are versions of one
phoneme, we add the prefix “allo-” (= one of a closely related set) and refer to
them as allophones of that phoneme.
 Example: [t] the [t] sound in the word tar is normally pronounced with a
stronger puff of air than is present in the [t] sound in the word star.
 Distinction between phonemes and allophone is that substituting one phoneme
for another will result in a word with a different meaning
 Substituting allophones results in diff difference in the pronunciation of /i/ in the
words seed and seen. In the second word, the effect of the nasal consonant [n]
makes the [i] sound nasalized. We can represent this nasalization with a small
mark (˜), called “tilde,” over the symbol [ ı̃] in a narrow
phonetic transcription. So, there are at least two phones,
[i] and [ ı̃], used to realize the single phoneme.
They are both allophones of /i/ in English.

6. Minimal pairs and sets
 What is a minimal pair? Are two words that are identical in form except for a
contrast in one phoneme, occurring in the same position.
 Examples: fan–van, bet–bat, site–side
 Minimal pairs have traditionally been used in the teaching and testing of
English as a second or foreign language to help students develop the ability to
understand the contrast in meaning based on the minimal sound contrast.
 Minimal Set: When a group of words can be differentiated, each one from the
others, by changing one phoneme (always in the same position in the word),
 Example : feat, fit, fat, fate, fought, foot, (based on the vowel) big, pig, rig,
fig, dig, wig.(based on consonant)
 Coarticulation: The process of
making one sound almost at the
same time as the next sound.

7. Phonotactics
 This type of exercise involving minimal sets also
allows us to see that there are definite patterns in
the types of sound combinations permitted in a
language.
 In other words, Phonotactics
are the rules govern the
combinations and ordering
of phonemes in a syllable.

8. Syllables
 A syllable must contain a vowel or vowel-like sound,
including diphthongs.
 There are some basic internal segmental structure as
follows
 Onset
 Nucleus
 Coda

9.  Syllables like me, to or no have an onset and a nucleus,
but no coda. They are known as open syllables. When a
coda is present, as in the syllables up, cup, at or hat,
they are called closed syllables.
 The basic structure of the kind of syllable found in
English words like green (CCVC), eggs (VCC), and
(VCC), ham (CVC), I (V), do (CV), not (CVC), like
(CVC), them (CVC), Sam (CVC), am (VC) is shown in
the accom- panying diagram.

10. Consonant clusters
 In English the number of consonants in sequence could be 3
maximum in initial position and up to 4 in the final one and can of
course occur in the median position.
 (C)+(C)+ (C) - V - (C)+(C)+(C)+(C)
 The combination /st/ is a
consonant cluster (CC) used as
onset in the first consonant must
always be /s/, followed by one of
the voiceless stops (/p/, /t/, /k/)
and a liquid or glide (/l/, /r/,/w/).
You can check if this description is
adequate for the combinations in
splash, spring, strong, scream and square.

11. Coarticulation effects
 The process of making one sound almost at the same
time as the next sound is called coarticulation.
 There are two well-known
coarticulation effects, described
as assimilation and elision.

12. Assimilation
 When two sound segments occur in sequence and some
aspect of one segment is taken or “copied” by the other,
the process is known as assimilation.
 Vowels are also subject to assimilation.
 can /kæn/
 I can go /aɪkəŋɡoʊ/
 and /ən/
 you and me /juənmi/

13. Elision
 Elision is the omission of one or more sounds (such as
a vowel, a consonant, or a whole syllable) in a word or
phrase, producing a result that is easier for the speaker
to pronounce.
friendship /frɛnʃɪp/
In consonant clusters
aspects /æspɛks/
he must be /himəsbi/
Vowels also disappear
every /ɛvri/
interest /ɪntrɪst/
camera /kæmrə/

14. Conclusion
 In a sense, every individual has a physically different
vocal tract.
 Consequently, in purely physical terms, every individual
will pronounce sounds differently.
 Finally, there are, potentially millions of physically
different ways of saying a simple word.