Phonemes

Question 1

Phonemes

Answer 1

The ‘atoms’ of speech. Smalles unit of speech that changes the meaning of a word.

Question 2

Consonants

Answer 2

Medeklinkers. Sounds produced with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract

Question 3

Vowels

Answer 3

Klinkers. Sounds produced without closure of the vocal tract.

Question 4

Vocal tract

Answer 4

Structured used in speech production. Consists of oral cavity, pharynx (throat) and cavity (nose)

Air form the ‘source’ (lungs and vocal cords) reaches the pharynx cavity

Question 5

Segments

Answer 5

Each language has a set of sounds that are used to construct words. A set of phonemes.

Question 6

Articulators

Answer 6

Moveable parts of the vocal tract
- Tongue
- lips
- Teeth
- Palate
- Glottis
etc.

The manner in which you use these creates the phoneme:
- Stops: stopping airflow, eg /p/
- Fricatives: mostly stops airflow but small gap eg /f/
- Trills: directing air over articulator causing vibration eg /r/

Question 7

Voicing

Answer 7

The relation between the consonant and the vocal cord vibration. Eg in /z/ they vibrate, in /s/ they don’t.

The voice onset time (VOT)
- from -100 to +100 ms (release point).
This varies across languages, causing English /b/ to sound like French /p/.