Introduction to Articulatory Phonetics (Vowels)

Summary

In this video on articulatory phonetics, we explore how linguists describe vowel sounds in North American English. The video covers key criteria used for vowel description: height (how high or low the tongue is), backness (how far front or back the tongue is), and roundedness (whether the lips are rounded). The lecture distinguishes between monophthongs and diphthongs, focusing on monophthongs in detail. With clear examples, the video explains how these phonetic features are combined to classify vowels and emphasizes the correct order in which they are described. It's a comprehensive introduction to vowel phonetics for language learners and students of linguistics.

Takeaways

• 😀 Articulatory phonetics is the study of how speech sounds are produced in the vocal tract.
• 😀 This video focuses on vowel sounds in North American English and how they are described in terms of their articulatory properties.
• 😀 There are two types of vowel sounds: monophthongs (one vowel quality) and diphthongs (two vowel qualities).
• 😀 The criteria for describing vowel sounds are: height, backness, and roundedness.
• 😀 Height refers to how high or low the tongue is in the mouth when producing a vowel.
• 😀 Backness describes how far forward or backward the tongue is when producing a vowel.
• 😀 Roundedness refers to whether or not the lips are rounded when producing a vowel sound.
• 😀 Vowels are categorized as high, mid, or low based on tongue height; for example, [i] is high and [ɑ] is low.
• 😀 Vowel backness is categorized as front, central, or back; for example, [i] is front, while [u] is back.
• 😀 The order of describing vowels is height, then backness, then roundedness. For example, [u] is a high back rounded vowel.
• 😀 Diphthongs are described by both the starting and ending vowel qualities, though this video focuses only on monophthongs.

Q & A

What is articulatory phonetics?

Articulatory phonetics is the study of the production of speech sounds in the vocal tract.

What are the two types of vowel sounds discussed in the video?

The two types of vowel sounds discussed are monophthongs and diphthongs. Monophthongs involve one vowel quality, while diphthongs involve two vowel qualities.

Why is there a different set of criteria for describing vowel sounds compared to consonant sounds?

Vowels do not involve the constriction of airflow in the vocal tract like consonants do. Vowel sounds are described based on tongue position and lip shape, as there is no specific anatomical landmark like in consonants.

What are the three main criteria used to describe vowel sounds?

The three criteria used to describe vowel sounds are height, backness, and roundedness.

What does 'height' refer to when describing vowel sounds?

'Height' refers to how high or low the tongue is in the mouth when producing the vowel. Vowels can be categorized as high, mid, or low based on this criterion.

Can you give an example of a high and a low vowel based on height?

An example of a high vowel is [i], and an example of a low vowel is [ɑ].

What does 'backness' refer to in the context of vowel sounds?

'Backness' refers to how far forward or back the tongue is when producing the vowel. Vowels can be classified as front, central, or back based on this criterion.

How can you distinguish between front and back vowels?

For example, [i] is a front vowel because the tongue is positioned towards the front of the mouth, while [u] is a back vowel because the tongue is positioned towards the back of the mouth.

What is meant by 'roundedness' in vowel sounds?

'Roundedness' refers to whether or not the lips are rounded when producing the vowel. Some vowels are produced with rounded lips, like [u], while others, like [i], are not.

What is the order used to describe vowel sounds?

Vowel sounds are described in the order of height, then backness, and then roundedness. For example, [u] is described as a high back rounded vowel.

How are diphthongs described in terms of the criteria discussed in the video?

Diphthongs are described by considering both the starting vowel quality and the ending vowel quality, but this video only focuses on the description of monophthongs.

What does the video suggest you should do if you want to learn more about phonetics?

The video suggests checking out other videos in the series on describing consonant sounds and navigating the International Phonetic Alphabet for further learning.