Articulatory Phonetics

How to handle speech

Thorsten Trippel

Universität Bielefeld

Overview

• Organs of speech
• Airstream and phonation
• Phonation modes
• Places of articulation
• Manners of articulation

Organs of speech: Task

• Which organs do you need for speech?

Organs of speech

• nasal cavity
• jaw bone
• lips
• teeth
• tongue
• soft palate
• hard palate
• uvula

Organs of speech (cont)

• larynx
• vocal folds/cords
• trachea
• lungs
• diaphragm

Organs of speech Schematic

• Go to http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics and find all these organs
• Create a list of translations of the places of articulation into your native language or German if your native language happens to be English
• Which terms mentioned here have not been labeled on the website? Why?

Airstream and phonation

• Check the following pages or others of your choice on the topic
  • http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/music/voice.html
  • http://www.fb10.uni-bremen.de/linguistik/khwagner/phonetik/phonologie.asp?kap=4
• Tasks:
  • How is the airstream produced?
  • Where do the soundwaves come from? What is the Bernoulli effect?
  • Which kinds of obstructions are there on the way? What are active and passive articulators?
  • Give a definition of phonation
  • Which modes of phonation are there?

Phonation modes

Phonation mode

• voiceless or voiced
• means of laryngeal functions
• six modes of phonation.

Phonation modes (cont)

voiceless

absence of any vocal fold vibration, vocal folds far enough apart to allow a laminar (= non-turbulent) airflow through the glottis

voiced

normal vocal fold vibration occuring along most or all of the length of the glottis

aspiration

glottis is open (cf. voicelessness), but moves towards closure of larynx closing movement causes aspirated sound

whisper

greater constriction of the vocal folds than with voicelessness, narrowed glottal airflow path, significant turbulence at the glottis

Phonation modes (cont 2)

breathy voice

normal vocal fold vibration accompanied by some continuous turbulent airflow ("air leakage") which occurs when glottal closure during the vibratory circle is not complete

creaky voice

low frequency vibration of the vocal folds, folds open for a very short time and often quite irregularly

Egressive airstream

1. air pushed from lungs by diaphragm through trachea
2. vocal folds drawn together tightly
3. air pressure builds up from below and forces the vocal folds apart
4. open vocal folds ⇒ reduced pressure ⇒vocal folds pulled back together (Bernoulli effect)
5. pressure builds up again

Airstream can also be ingressive!

Articulators

1. oral cavity can be opened and closed
2. shape can change
3. pitch depends on the muscle tension of the vocal cords
4. active articulators: e.g. tongue, lower jaw, lips
5. passive articulators: e.g. hard palate

Places of articulation

• area of oral-pharyngeal vocal tract + part of tongue used
• places of articulation:
  • labial
    • bilabial
    • labio-dental
  • coronal
    • dental (apico-dental; lamino-dental)
    • alveolar (apico-alveolar; lamino-alveolar; lamino-postalveolar; sublaminopostalveolar)
    • palatal (apico-palatal; lamino-palatal)
  • dorsal
    • velar
    • uvular
  • "other"
    • pharyngeal
    • glottal

Manners of articulation

Stop

formation and rapid release of a complete closure

Fricative

constriction in the vocal tract creating a turbulent airflow

Affricate

stop followed by a longer phase of friction

Approximant

constriction, not producing turbulence at constriction

Nasal

stoppage in oral cavity, lowered velum, air through the nasal cavity

Manners of articulation (cont)

Tap

brief occlusion in the vocal tract, a single movement, very short stop

Flap

brief occlusion in the vocal tract, one articulator strikes the other "on the way"

Trill

vibration of any articulator, a series of vibrations

Homework

To see the full size of the graphics, right click them and select "view graphic"

• Label the diagram of the organs of speech and circle two active and two passive articulators.
• In preparation for next session:
  • What is the International Phonetic Alphabet?
  • Circle all English consonants. Can you find the names of the categories indicated by the arrow and the brackets? (If you need help, have a look at the the topic ‘Articulatory Phonetics’.)
• Practice by following this link

Class website

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