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English phonology is the system of speech sounds used in spoken English. Like many other languages, English has wide variation in pronunciation, both historically and from dialect to dialect. In general, however, the regional dialects of English share a largely similar (but not identical) phonological system.
- Phonetics
- Phonology
- Accent
- Vowel Sound
- Consonant Sound
- Monophthong
- Diphthong
- Triphthong
- Neutral Vowel, Or “Shwa”
- The Sound /æ/
Phonetics– This section of linguistics studies the sounds of human speech. It is divided into: 1)articulatory phonetics 2)acoustic phonetics 3)auditory phonetics INTERESTING FACT: The first phonetic system of writing, which served as the basis for the creation of all modern phonetic signs, is said to have been created by the Phoenicians.
Phonology– This section of linguistics studies how the sounds of human speech are organized in a specific language. INTERESTING FACT: There are between 30 and 40 dialects of English in the UK, and more than 20 in the United States.
Accent – The manner of pronunciation which is characteristic of a particular geographical area. An accent can be foreign or regional and can be connected with specific economic status. INTERESTING FACT: Cows also have regional accents. “I spend a lot of time with mine, and they moo with a Somerset drawl,” said Lloyd Green, a reporter for BBC News.
Vowel sound– A speech sound created by the relatively free passage of breath through the larynx and oral cavity. INTERESTING FACT: Although the exact number of vowels in some languages is difficult to count, the most significant number of vowels is presumably in the Taa language – the language of Botswana and Namibia – in which there are between 20...
Consonant sound– A sound that is made when airflow is interrupted or limited by the position of the tongue, teeth or lips. INTERESTING FACT: The central dialect of the Rotokas language has the least number of consonants in the world – only 6.
Monophthong– A vowel that has only one perceived sound. Unlike diphthongs, a monophthong does not “glide” up or down concerning another vowel. Examples include /eh/ in the word pet, /ih/ in the word film, and /aa/ in the word father. INTERESTING FACT: The process of converting monophthongs to diphthongs is called diphthongization. The reverse proce...
Diphthong– A sound formed by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable, in which the sound begins as one vowel and moves toward another. For example, the vowel sounds /ey/ in the word play, /oy/ in the word boyand /aw/ in loud. It is also called a “gliding vowel.” INTERESTING FACT: The most common combinations of vowels in American English...
Triphthong– A union of three vowels (letters or sounds) pronounced in one syllable. They are pronounced together, as the sound passes smoothly from one letter to the next. INTERESTING FACT: There are five triphthongs in British English: 1. eɪə – as in player 2. aɪə – as in fire 3. ɔɪə – as in loyal 4. əuə – as in lower 5. auə – as in hour
“Shwa”– A mid-central vowel sound with the IPA symbol /ə/ or the Arpabet symbol /ah/. In English, it occurs in words such as aboutand ballot. INTERESTING FACT: As a rule, all unstressed vowels in English take on a neutral sound. Thus, the /ah/ in an unstressed word changes to a neutral /ə/. Compare: “I didn’t even know that she wasat the party.” An...
The sound /æ/in Old English is a near-open front unrounded vowel, represented by the symbol /æ/ in the IPA and /AE/ in the Arpabet. It can be found in such words as cat, bat, pack, etc. INTERESTING FACT: Baroness Emma Nicholson of Winterbourne (b.1941) is a prominent public figure and pronounces this vowel sound shorter. This pronunciation was very...
Book description. An Introduction to English Phonology introduces undergraduates to the basic tools and concepts necessary for the outline description of English phonological systems and processes. By working through the book and the various exercises included, students should come to understand the need for a dedicated system of description ...
- April M. S. McMahon
- 2001
Phonology - the study of how the sounds of speech are represented in our minds - is one of the core areas of linguistic theory, and is central to the study of human language. This handbook brings together the world's leading experts in phonology to present the most comprehensive and detailed overview of the field.
1 Speech sounds and their production; 2 Towards a sound system for English: consonant phonemes; 3 Some vowel systems of English; 4 Phonological features, part 1: the classification of English vowel phonemes; 5 Phonological features, part 2: the consonant system; 6 Syllables; 7 Word stress; 8 Phonetic representations: the realisations of phonemes
- Heinz J. Giegerich
- 1992
Nov 30, 2020 · Like many other languages, English has wide variation in pronunciation, both historically and from dialect to dialect. In general, however, the regional dialects of English share a largely similar (but not identical) phonological system. [1]. The pronunciations given have been checked in dictionaries like Oxford Learner's, Merriam Webster.
Oct 15, 1992 · Cambridge University Press, Oct 15, 1992 - Language Arts & Disciplines - 333 pages. This is an introduction to the phonology of present-day English. It deals principally with three varieties of...
