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Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University Unit 4: Phonetics: Speech Mechanisms-Places and Manners of Articulation

Unit 4: Phonetics: Speech Mechanisms-Places and Notes
Manners of Articulation

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
4.1 Definition of Phonetics
4.2 History of Phonetics
4.3 Branches of Phonetics
4.4 Speech Mechanisms
4.5 Summary
4.6 Key-Words
4.7 Review Questions
4.8 Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this Unit students will be able to:
• Understand Speech Mechanisms.
• Know Places and Manners of Articulation.

Introduction

Phonetics 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. Phonology, on the other hand, is concerned
with the abstract, grammatical characterization of systems of sounds or signs.
The 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
These areas are inter-connected through the common mechanism of sound, such as wavelength
(pitch), amplitude, and harmonics.

4.1 Definition of Phonetics
Phonetics is the scientific study of the production, transmission and reception of speech sounds. It
studies the medium of spoken language. Touching upon physiology and physics, phonetics is
now a pure science that studies speech processes, including the anatomy, neurology and pathology
of speech, as well as the articulation, description, classification, production and perception of
speech sounds. It looks at speech from three distinct but interdependent viewpoints: it studies the
speech organs, which produce sounds of language; it studies waves, the physical form in which
sounds are transmitted through the air from one person to another; and it studies the way in
which human beings perceive sounds through the medium of the ear.

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