Phonetics and Phonology Concepts

Phonetics

According to Iyabode (2011), It is the scientific description of speech sounds in a language, how they are produced, and perceived, and their acoustic properties. It is classified within the natural sciences, as it traces the physiological processes involved in sound production.

Studies the physical properties of speech sounds, including their production (articulatory), transmission (acoustic), and perception (auditory).

1. Articulatory Phonetics (how sounds are produced).
2. Acoustic Phonetics (how sounds travel through the air).
3. Auditory Phonetics (how sounds are perceived by the ear).

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a standardized sound representation system. Here’s a simplified chart:

• Vowels: /i:/ as in see, /æ/ as in cat.
• Consonants: /t/ as in top, /ʃ/ as in shoe.

Examples:

• The sound /p/ in pen is a bilabial plosive because both lips come together to stop and release air.

Explore an interactive IPA chart.

Phonology 

According to Iyabode (2011), It refers to the regularities that govern the phonetic realizations of sounds in words of a language. It establishes a system of sound distinctions relevant to a language and how it behaves in real speech.

Focuses on how sounds function in a specific language, including rules and patterns for combining sounds.

Phonology focuses on phonemes, the smallest units of sound that distinguish meaning.

Minimal Pairs:

• bit (/bɪt/) vs. beat (/bi:t/): The vowels /ɪ/ and /i:/ change the meaning.

Allophones:

• • In English, /t/ has different pronunciations depending on the context:
    • top → [tʰɒp] (aspirated).