Phonetics - Consonants: Crash Course Linguistics #8

Summary

This Crash Course Linguistics episode delves into the complexities of spelling and pronunciation in languages. It introduces phonetics, the study of speech sounds, and the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), a system for precise pronunciation representation. The episode explains how speech sounds are produced using the vocal tract and various articulators, and distinguishes between consonants and vowels. It also explores different manners of articulation, such as stops, fricatives, and nasals, and highlights the IPA's utility for language learners, accent coaches, and in computer speech recognition.

Takeaways

• 😎 Spelling in English can be inconsistent due to varying pronunciations of the same letters, such as 'ough'.
• 🗣️ Pronunciation variations exist within the same language, as illustrated by the difference between 'I. Am. Going. To. Get. You.' and 'I'm gonna getcha'.
• 🔍 The study of speech sounds is called phonetics, and it helps in understanding the precise sounds of language.
• 📜 The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a system used by linguists to write pronunciations very precisely.
• 💨 Speech sounds are produced by the vocal folds vibrating as air passes through them, creating sound in the vocal tract.
• 🎷 The human vocal tract can be compared to a wind instrument, where different shapes produce different sounds.
• 🤲 In signed languages, the hands, face, and body parts are the articulators that form language.
• 👄 For spoken languages, consonants are made by closing the vocal tract, while vowels are produced with an open tract but different shapes.
• 🔊 Consonant sounds /p/, /t/, and /k/ are examples of stops or plosives, made at different places in the vocal tract.
• 👀 The IPA chart organizes speech sounds by place and manner of articulation, similar to a periodic table for sounds.
• 🌐 The IPA was created for consistency in representing speech sounds and is useful for various professionals, including opera singers and speech pathologists.

Q & A

Why is spelling in English considered a mess?

Spelling in English is considered a mess because the same letters can be pronounced differently in various words, such as 'ough' in 'tough', 'cough', 'though', 'through', 'bough', and 'brought', and people can pronounce the same words in different ways.

What is the study of speech sounds called?

The study of speech sounds is called phonetics.

What is the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)?

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a writing system used by linguists to represent pronunciations of speech sounds very precisely.

How do the lungs contribute to the production of speech sounds?

The lungs contribute to the production of speech sounds by pushing air up through the vocal folds, which vibrate to create sound.

What is the term for the path that air takes from the lungs to the lips in speech production?

The path that air takes from the lungs to the lips in speech production is known as the vocal tract.

What are the five major features of signed language articulation?

The five major features of signed language articulation are handshape, palm orientation, movement, location, and expression (also called non-manual signs).

What are consonants and how are they produced?

Consonants are speech sounds made by closing the vocal tract in some way, and they are produced by different manners of articulation such as stops, fricatives, and nasals.

What is the difference between voiced and voiceless sounds?

Voiced sounds are produced with the vocal cords vibrating, such as [z], while voiceless sounds are produced without vocal cord vibration, such as [s].

What is the term for sounds made by closing the mouth but opening the nasal passage?

The term for sounds made by closing the mouth but opening the nasal passage is nasal sounds.

How does the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) help in learning new languages?

The IPA helps in learning new languages by providing a precise representation of speech sounds, allowing learners to understand and reproduce the exact accent of a specific person.

Why was the IPA created and what was its initial purpose?

The IPA was created in the late 1800s by linguists who wanted to establish a single system where each sound had exactly one symbol, to avoid confusion and the need for pronunciation keys in every document.