SPEECH SOUNDS SYSTEM of ENGLISH

SYSTEM of

ENGLISH

Systematic character of Speech Sounds
Sound producing mechanisms

human patterned noise,

noise with organization .
It’s organized
articulatory,
acoustically, auditory
functionally

From the articulatory aspect the following mechanisms are often distinguished:
power mechanism
vibrator mechanism
resonator mechanism
obstructive mechanism

includes mainly the lungs.
The

function of the power mechanism is to supply the sound producing organs with energy in the form of the air stream / air pressure coming from the lungs

is mainly the Larynx ( the upper part of

the windpipe) with the vocal cords and the glottis situated in it.
V.M. is both articulatory & acoustic mechanism, its main function – to produce different types of vibrations:
regular / periodic
& irregular / non-periodic

periodic vibrations give rise to

voice;
irregular / non-periodic vibrations give rise to noise.
As physical / acoustic phenomenon vibrations can be measured by
frequency ( in hertz),
intensity (in decibels),
duration (in seconds)

Auditory
frequency is acquired as height of voice

/ tone intensity as loudness
duration as length

The greater number of vibrations are produced the higher voice (tone) is obtained

mouth cavity,

nasal cavity .
The function of the mouth cavity –
to give rise to VOWELS
(to define their qualities)
by changing the size, shape & volume of the mouth resonator.

modified by the tongue & the lips.
Vowels are classified according

to:
position of the tongue
position of the lips
historical length & final phase of articulation
stability

horizontal & vertical

horizontal
front: [i:], [e], [æ]
front-retracted: [I]
central / mixed: [3:],[ә] [^]
back-advanced [טּ],[a:]
back:[ u:], [ כּ:],[כ]

vertical

high [ i:],

[u:]
[ וּ ], [ טּ]

mid [e] [3:],
[ ә], [^],
broad & narrow variations
of each group
low [æ], [a:], [ כ:], [ כּ]

articulation:
According to the historical length –

Vowels are historically long & short
According to the final phase of articulation:
Free & Checked
Free (historically long Vs) are those in the production of which there is some decrease in the force of articulation;

Checked (historically short Vs) are those in the production of which there no decrease in the force of articulation.
They are always checked by a following consonant

their stability V-ls are : monophthongs – stable

sounds &
diphthongs – non-stable sounds;
diphthongs:
centring / ingliding : [וּә],[uә],[eә];

& upgliding: [eI ],[әu] [aI], [au], [כI].

this mechanism is to produce consonants - speech sounds with

the obstructions.

The tongue & the lips fulfill the role of obstructors.
The quality of the consonants is defined by the manner of articulation, i.e.

the type of obstruction -complete or incomplete,
( Cs: occlusive, constrictive, occlusive – constrictive);
& the manner of producing noise –
plosives, fricatives, sonants ;

pharyngeal.
Labial : bilabial, labio – dental;

Lingual : forelingual, medio – lingual, back – lingual;
Pharyngeal (glottal)

active organs of speech & place of articulation

palatal, velar;
the kind of noise: voiced

& voiceless;
their intensity:
forties – voiceless, lenis – voiced.

progressive: bags [g z], that’s [ts];

regressive – on the ([n] is dental here;
reciprocal – at once [t] [w]:
[t] becomes rounded,
[w] – devoiced.

incomplete (partial), intermediate
complete: horse-shoe [h כּ : ﯤ

ﯤ ﯤ u:],

incomplete: at the; in this ;

intermediate: English - [n] ← [g]
[ n ] → [ ŋ ] → [ ŋ g ]