Definitions, Branches of Phonetics, Differencebetween Phonetics and Phonology, Scope and Significance

Conducted By: Monir HossenLecturer Department of English CCN University of Science and Technology

Email: monir.eng.cou@gmail.com

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PhoneticsPhonetics (pronounced /fəˈnɛtɪks/, from the Greek: φωνή, phōnē, 'sound, voice') is a branch of linguistics that comprises the study of the sounds of human speech, or—in the case of sign languages—the equivalent aspects of sign. It is concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds or signs (phones): their physiological production, acoustic properties, auditory perception, and neurophysiological status.

Phonetics is the scientific study of speech sound. It studies how speech sounds are articulated, transmitted and received.

Branches of PhoneticsThe field of phonetics is a multiple layered subject of linguistics that focuses on speech. In the case of oral languages there are three basic areas of study:

Articulatory phonetics: the study of the production of speech sounds by the articulatory and vocal tract by the speaker

Acoustic phonetics: the study of the physical transmission of speech sounds from the speaker to the listener

Auditory phonetics: the study of the reception and perception of speech sounds by the listener

PHONOLOGYPhonology is the study of how the speech sounds function

in a language. It studies the ways speech sounds are organized. It can be seen as the functional phonetics of a language.

Phonology is concerned with the abstract, grammatical characterization of systems of sounds or signs.

Phonology is the study of the properties of sound systems, the principles that govern the ways in which speakers of different languages organize speech sounds to express meanings.

Source: Phonology - Critical Concepts in Linguistics by Charles W. Kreidler

Branches of Phonology There are two branches of Phonology in the linguistic

recognition. Such as:

Segmental: It analyzes speech into discrete segments.

Suprasegmental: It analyzes those features that extend over more than one segment. Such as: stress and intonation.

The difference between phonetics and phonology

Firstly, Phonetics is about the physical aspect of sounds, it studies the production, transmission and the perception of sounds, called phones.

On the contrary, Phonology is about the abstract aspect of sounds and it studies the phonemes. Phonology is about establishing what are the phonemes in a given language, i.e. those sounds that can bring a difference in meaning between two words.

Continued Secondly, Phonetics studies the physical, physiological

and psychological aspects of speech sounds while Phonology covers the study of how the speech sounds operate the structuring and functioning in the language.

Thirdly, a Phonetic study of language represents the inventory and description of the occurring phonetic segments. On the other hand, a phonological study of a language refers to the inventory of phonemic segments of the language and says which sounds are distinctive and which are redundant.

Continued Fourthly, a phonetic unit or entity is “phone” while a

phonological entity is “Phoneme”.

Fifthly, Phonetic transcriptions are done using the square brackets, [ ]. Such as: [p], [t] On the other hand, a phonological transcription is represented by using slash / /. Such as: /p /, /t /

Finally, a phonetic unit is incapable of exhibiting any meaning while a phonological unit can produce a meaning differences.

Phone, Phoneme, AllophoneA ‘Phone” is a phonetic unit used to indicate the smallest

perceptible discrete segment of speech sounds.

A phoneme is a phonological unit that includes similar sounds or phones and differentiates between two ormore words.

The Phones of Phoneme are called allophone of each

other.

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