Phonetics and Phonology

production, perception and properties of all speech sounds

• basic unit
• indicated in square brackets

system of sound categories in a particular soundpho

• smallest meaning-distinguishing unit in a language

• phonetic realisations of the same phoneme
• concrete, physical unit

• interruption of airstream
• airflow first blocked, suddenly released

• velum blocks oral cavity, airstream only through nasal cavity
• e.g. moon, mother, ..

• air pressed through narrow gap, causes friction
• hissing noise
• e.g. foot, soot, shoot

• oral stop phase is followed by a phase of friction
• stop is suddenly released but gradually
• e.g. chain, Jane

• articulators approaching each other, no audible hiss
• always voiced

study of function and organisation of sound categories

two sounds which have at least one contrastive sound environment belong to different phonemes

• two sounds which have no single sound environment in common
• two sounds which are complementary and are phonetically similar are likely to be allophones

totality of sound environment in which the sound may occur

aim: establishing the phoneme status of two or more sounds