What is Phonetics?


Phonetics is the study of the articulatory and acoustic properties of the sounds of human ********.


Lessons
The Physics and Physiology of Speech
Consonants: Voicing and Place of Articulation
Consonants: Manner of Articulation
Vowels
Acoustics
Formants
Extracting Formant values
The exercises on the following pages are designed to illustrate characteristics of phonetic analysis. The study of phonetics is the study of the acoustic and articulatory properties of speech sounds.



Standard English Place of Articulation
Standard English Manner of Articulation
Standard English Vowels
Other Exercises







Introduction


In this lesson, you will be introduced to the major anatomical components of the speech system for human ********.
Major Terms

  • trachea
  • larynx
  • glottis
  • pharynx
  • vocal tract
Subglottal System


Sound in human ******** is produced by the regulation of airflow from the lungs through the throat, nose, and mouth. This airflow is altered in various ways by different aspects of this speech system. The first major segment of the speech system is the subglottal system. This subglottal system comprises the lungs, diaphragm and trachea.
The lungs are basically a pair of balloon-like sacs that inflate or deflate by the action of the diaphragm, a muscle just under the lungs, attached to them. When the diaphragm is lowered, the lungs inflate, and when the diaphragm is raised, air is pressed out of the lungs, allowing them to deflate.
When this air is pressed out of the lungs, air travels up the trachea, or windpipe, to the larynx, the next major segment of the speech system.



The Larynx


The larynx is a mass of cartilage at the top of the trachea. It is commonly called the voicebox.



The larynx contains folds of muscle called the vocal folds (sometimes called vocal cords). These vocal folds are connected to the larynx by the arytenoid cartilage at the front, but the other ends are left free. The opening between the vocal folds is known as the glottis. These folds can be relaxed, letting air flow freely through the glottis, or tensed, so that the air vibrates as it passes through the glottis.
Sounds that are produced with relaxed vocal folds are known as voiceless sounds, and sounds that are produced with tensed vocal folds are known as voiced sounds. If the folds are only partially closed, a whispered sound is produced.





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