IPA Diacritics & Suprasegmentals | Transcription | Phonology

Summary

This video explains the role of IPA diacritics and suprasegmentals in phonemic transcription. It covers key symbols like syllable boundaries, primary and secondary stress, long vowel sounds, and linking. The video also delves into diacritics for specific phonetic nuances such as r-colored schwa, aspiration, and syllabic consonants. Additionally, it explains the use of slashes, brackets, and parentheses to indicate different types of transcription. The content aims to provide clarity for transcribing English sounds and accents, making it a useful resource for phonetics learners.

Takeaways

• 😀 Diacritics and suprasegmentals are extra symbols added to the phonemic transcription to indicate various features like syllable boundaries, stress, and vowel length.
• 😀 Supra segmentals include symbols that show syllable boundaries, primary stress, secondary stress, and vowel length.
• 😀 A dot (·) is used to indicate syllable boundaries in words. For example, in 'strawberry', dots show where each syllable begins and ends.
• 😀 The apostrophe (') marks primary stress in a word, indicating the syllable that is most prominent. For example, in 'Metropolis', the second syllable is stressed.
• 😀 Secondary stress is shown by a small comma-like symbol, placed between syllables to indicate a less prominent but still stressed syllable.
• 😀 A colon-like symbol (:) is used to indicate long vowel sounds, such as in the words 'food' and 'daughter'.
• 😀 Linking, shown by a rounded line, indicates when two words are pronounced together, like in 'come in' (which links to 'comein').
• 😀 Diacritics, such as an elevated 'r' after a schwa sound (ə), represent an 'r-colored' schwa, like in 'waiter' or 'fire'.
• 😀 The aspirated sound is shown by an elevated 'h' symbol, used in words like 'tip' and 'price', indicating a puff of air.
• 😀 Syllabic consonants are marked by a small line underneath the consonant, showing that it forms a syllable on its own, like the 'l' in 'bottle'.
• 😀 Dark or velarized sounds are indicated by a wavy line through the symbol, used in words like 'milk' to show a different sound quality.
• 😀 Slashes (/) are used for phonemic transcription to show the standard or abstract pronunciation, while square brackets [ ] are used for precise, regional pronunciation. Parentheses ( ) indicate pauses or unclear speech.

Q & A

What are suprasegmentals in IPA?

Suprasegmentals in IPA are symbols that provide information about the prosody of speech, such as syllable boundaries, stress patterns, and vowel length. These symbols are placed alongside the sound symbols to give additional context.

What is the purpose of the dot used in IPA transcriptions?

The dot in IPA transcription is used to indicate syllable boundaries, showing where one syllable ends and the next one begins.

Why is the apostrophe used in IPA transcriptions?

The apostrophe is used to indicate primary stress in a word. It marks the syllable that is stressed the most, making it the most prominent sound in the word.

What is the difference between primary and secondary stress in IPA?

Primary stress is marked with an apostrophe and refers to the most prominent syllable in a word, while secondary stress is less prominent, marked by a comma-like symbol, and applies to syllables that are stressed but not as strongly as the primary stress.

How is vowel length indicated in IPA?

Vowel length is indicated by a colon-like symbol in IPA. This symbol shows that the vowel sound is held longer than usual, as seen in words like 'food' or 'daughter'.

What does the symbol indicating linking in IPA represent?

The linking symbol in IPA, represented by a small line, shows that two words are connected in speech, indicating a smooth transition between them, as in the example 'come in'.

What is the function of the elevated 'r' diacritic in IPA?

The elevated 'r' diacritic, placed above a schwa, indicates an 'r-colored' schwa, where the schwa sound is modified with a hint of an 'r' sound, as in the word 'waiter'.

What is an aspirated sound in IPA and how is it represented?

An aspirated sound in IPA is a sound that is accompanied by a puff of air, such as in the words 'tip' or 'price'. It is represented by an 'h' diacritic placed above the consonant symbol.

What does the diacritic indicating syllabic consonants look like in IPA?

The diacritic for syllabic consonants is a small vertical line placed directly underneath the consonant symbol. This shows that the consonant forms a syllable on its own, as in the word 'bottle'.

What is the symbol for a dark or velarized 'l' in IPA?

The symbol for a dark or velarized 'l' in IPA is a wavy line through the 'l'. It indicates that the 'l' sound is pronounced with a darker quality, typically in words like 'milk' or 'pool'.