chapter two sounds.ppt

Chapter 2  The Sounds of Language 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Phonetics 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Phonetics  The study of the speech sounds that occur in all languages is called phonetics. The task of phonetics: The task of phonetics is to identify what speech sounds are there in a language, how the sounds are produced, how the sounds are classified, and features the sounds have. There are three different branches of phonetics: Articulatory phonetics(发音语音学)--- “how speakers produce speech sounds” —— from the speakers’ point of view Auditory phonetics(听觉语音学)---- “how sounds are perceived” —— from the hearers’ point of view Acoustic phonetics(声学语音学)--- It deals with the transmission of speech sounds through the air. ——from the physical way or means by which sounds are transmitted from one to another. 2.2.1 Articulators and their functions In larynx, there are the vocal cords. Above the vocal cords, there is the vocal tract in which the other articulators are located. the vocal tract can be divided into: Oral cavity: which is the air passage within the mouth and the throat. Nasal cavity: which is the air passage within and behind the nose Articulators (i) Pharynx (ii) Soft palate or velum (iii) Hard palate (iv) Alveolar ridge or alveolum (v) Tongue (vi) Teeth (vii) Lips Larynx Jaws Nasal cavity 2.2.2 Voiced and voiceless sounds When the vocal cords are spread apart, the airstream from the lungs is not obstructed at the space between vocal cords and passes freely. The sounds produced in this way are described as voiceless sounds. Then the vocal cords are drawn together, the airstream forces its way through and causes them to vibrate. Sounds produced in this way are described as voiced sounds. (1) rope/robe fate/fade rack/rag wreath/wreathe(2) fine/vine seal/zeal choke/joke The first word of each pair in (1) ends with a voiceless sound and the second word with a voiced sound. The first word of each pair in (2) begins w