Ngữ Âm Lý Thuyết - Bài Giữa Kỳ - Đề 2

 

1: How does phonology differ from phonetics

2: What is a vowel? How are does vowel classified? Give exam to illustrate your answer

BÀI LÀM:

Câu 1:

Phonetics is the study and classification of speech sounds. It is concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds, including their physiological production, acoustic properties, and auditory perception. Basically, phonetics studies how sounds are produced, transmitted and received.  Based on these three primary functions, phonetics can be classified into three subcategories: articulatory phonetics, acoustic phonetics, and auditory phonetics. Articulatory phonetics studies the production of speech sounds by the articulatory and vocal tract of the speaker. Acoustic phonetics studies the physical transmission of speech sounds from the speaker to the listener whereas auditory phonetics studies the reception and perception of speech sounds by the listener.

Phonology is the system of contrastive relationships among the speech sounds that constitute the fundamental components of a language. In simple words, phonology is the study of sounds, especially different patterns of sounds in different languages. It studies how sounds are combined together to form words and how sounds alternate in different languages. Phonology also studies the inventory of sounds and their features in a language and the pragmatics rules which specify how sounds interact with each other. Phonology is also involved in the history and theory of sound changes in a language or in two or more related languages

We learn to reproduce the sound patterns in our native language from the birth itself. But some sounds in our language may not be available in other languages; likewise, some sounds in other languages may not be available in our language. This is why many of us face problems in pronouncing foreign words.

Difference Between Phonetics and Phonology

Definition

Phonetics is the study of speech sounds.

Phonology is the study of the speech sounds used in a language.

Branch of Linguistics

Phonetics belong to descriptive linguistics.

Phonology belongs to theoretical linguistics.

Areas

Phonetics studies the production, transmission, reception of sound.

Phonology studies different patterns of sounds in different languages.

Specificity

Phonetics does not study one particular language.

Phonology can study one specific language.

Câu 2:

1: What is a vowel?

Vowels are phonemes that are produced without any appreciable constriction or blockage of airflow in the vocal tract. Vowel letters consist of a, e, i, o, and u. But there are many kinds of vowels based on their sounds when we spell them. 

2: How are does vowel classified?

How high is the tongue?

• High- mid - low

What part of the tongue is involved?

• Front- central- back

What is the position of the lips?

• Rounded or unrounded

1. Monophthongs

Also known as pure and stable vowels because the monophthong articulated as one sound just like the original form of the letter.

Below are some of the pronunciation symbols of the monophthong vowel letters and the example for each.

Hit        [i]

Lick        [I]

Beg        [e]

Fed        [ɛ]

Glad        [æ]

Two        [u]

Should    [ʊ]

2. Diphthongs

The diphthong is a sound formed by two vowels that are articulated like a single syllable. Usually it begins with a vowel, then moves on to other vowels as we spell out the syllable.

We use the digraph symbol to represent a diphthong vowel. These are the list of the examples:

Sight        [aɪ]

Mouse        [aʊ]

Toy        [ɔɪ]

Make        [eɪ]

Fur        [ʊə]

3. Close Vowel

Close vowel occurs when our tongue raises towards the roof of our mouth. Because of that, our mouth will be closed, so it’s called a close vowel.

4. Open Vowel

When we spell the open vowel, our tongue will move down towards the lower jaw that makes our mouth open, so it’s called an open vowel.

let’s look to the word that include an open vowel in it.

5. Front Vowel

When we placed our tongue in the front section of our mouth as we spelled a word, it makes the vowel called the front vowel. However, it must not create any constriction with its pronunciation that can turn it into a consonant.             

These are the vowel that include in the front vowels:

Island        [i]

East        [e]

Have         [a]

Pin        [ɪ]

Cake        [eɪ]

Cat        [æ]

6. Central Vowel

Central vowel or later known as a mixed vowel (schwa), is a type of vowel that positioned your tongue halfway, between the front and back section of your mouth.

The following are the examples of central vowel: 

Earth        [ɛ]

Teacher    [ə]

Nut        [ʌ]

7. Back Vowel

When we placed our tongue at the back section of our mouth as we spelled a word, it makes the back vowel sounds.

Examples of back vowel:

Book         [u]

Egyptian    [ỉ]

Go        [o]

Oops         [U]

All        [)]

8. Rounded Vowel

In this case, our mouth will form like a circle when we articulate a syllable with a rounded vowel in it.

Examples of rounded vowels:

Note

Look

Rule

Boot

Well (semivowel)

9. Unrounded Vowel

When we spell a word with an unrounded vowel, our mouth will be open sideways.

Examples of unrounded vowels:

Milk

Sew

Desk

Ask

Wave

Read more on Examples of Rounded and Unrounded Vowels.

We also have a classification of vowels based on the tenseness.

10. Tense Vowel

We need to give more effort and use more muscle to articulate this kind of vowel. And also, our tongue slightly goes to a higher position and doing its job for more duration than the lax vowels.

Below are the examples of tense vowel:

Palm

Thought

Nurse

Goose

Fleece

11. Lax Vowel

This kind of vowel needs consonants to follow it. They do not occur alone at the ends of the word. Lax vowels are also shorter than tense vowels.

Below are the example of lax vowels:

Ink

Red

Said

Sand

Brother

Gone

Pull

Teacher