Phonology of English

Phonology of English.

Lecture 2:

Allophony

Accommodatory

Non-accommodatory

Obstruents.

Sonorants.

Change the place of articulation.

Change the allophone NOT the place of articulation.

The air may be fully or partially obstructed

Plosive /p, b, t, d, k, g/

Fricatives /f, v, θ, ð, ʃ, ʒ, s, z, h/

Affricates /tʃ, dʒ/

Place of Articulation

Much less obstruction of air, which allows it to resonate.

Nasal /m, n, ŋ/

Approximants: Lateral /l/ Postalveolar /r/

Semivowels /j, w/

/ p, b, m /

/ f, v /

/ ð, θ /

/ t, d, n, s, z, l, r /

/ ʃ, ʒ, ʧ, ʤ /

/ k, g, ŋ /

/ h, ʔ /

Bilabial

Labiodental

Interdental

Alveolar

Palatar

Velar

Glottal

Manner of Articulation.

Stop (p, b, t, d, k, g): the air is completely blocked in the oral cavity.

Fricatives (f, v, s, z, θ, ð, ʃ, ʒ): the obstruction of the air creates friction.

Affricates (tʃ, dʒ): a stop closure followed immediately by a release which produce something similar to a friction.

Taxonomic- phonemic

Phonetic similatity

Non-contrastive distribution

Complementary distribution

Free variation before a ||

Lecture 2: Allophony.

Lecture 6: Some rules affectig consonants

No aspiration.

Weak Aspiration.

/ p, t, k /

Plosives

/p, t, k/

Plosives

A fortis plosive have a weak aspiration

Optional phonostylistic rules.

Fortis plosive has zero aspiration.

Followed by weak vowels

ɪ ə ʊ

Preceded by /s/ at the beginning of the syllable.

Frication of / r /

Spin.

[ p-, t-, k- ]

/ p, t, k /

Followed by a consotant.

/ r / becomes fricative after / t / or / d /

/ t / + / b, p, m / / p /

/ k, g / / k /

/ d / + / b, p, m / / b /

/ k, g / / g /

/ n / + / p, b, m / / m /

/ k, g / / ŋ /

Sets

[ p= t= k= ]

/ p, t, k /

[d̠ ͡ ɹ̝ ]

[t̠͡ ɹ̝̊]

trip, drip, quiet wrong, bedroom

Alveolar Accomodatory

Clear & Dark / l /

ɫ l /_V or j/

Let

Aspiration.

Before a vowel or /j/

Yod Coalescent assimilation.

a) Alveolar to dental

/ t̪ d̪ n̪ l̪ / before / θ ð /

b) Alveolar to postalveolar

/ t̠ d̠ n̠ l̠ /before / ʃ, ʒ, ʧ, ʤ, ɹ/

/ p, t, k /

l ɫ /__ C, || /

Plosives

Before a consonant or a pause.

including /w/ but not /j/

/ t / + / j / / ʧ /

A fortis plosive is strongly aspirated when initial in a syllable with a strong vowel.

Milk

/ d / + / j / / ʤ /

iː ɪ e æ ɑː ɒ ɔː ʊ ʌ ɜː

REMEMBER

Alveolar Accomodatory.

Dealveolar Fricative Assimilation

/ s, z / before / ʃ, ʒ / / ʃ, ʒ /

c) Alveolar to labiodental.

/ ŋ / / ɱ / before / v or f /

/ p, t, k /

[ pʰ , tʰ , kʰ ]

Bilabial Accomodatory.

a) Bilabial plosives

/ p, b / / p̪ , b̪ / before / f or v /

b) Bilabial nasal to labiodental

/ m / / ɱ / before / v or f /

Lecture 6: Some Rules affecting Consonants

Frications.

Approximants.

Approximants are transformed into voiceless fricatives when are preceded by [pʰ, tʰ , kʰ]

Approximants

l, r, j, w ɬ , ɹ̞̊ , ç , ʍ

Slight devoicing: approximants are slightly devoiced when preceded by voiceless consonants (no pʰ, tʰ , kʰ) within the same word!

[pʰ, tʰ , kʰ] _

When?

Stop Release.

[ l , ɫ , ɹ, j , w ] [l̥ , ɫ̥ , ɹ̥ , j̊ , w̥ ]

[-voi cons]_

Nasal: before a nasal (m, n, ŋ) _ [n, m, ŋ]

/p, b, t, d, k, g/ [ pⁿ, bⁿ, tⁿ, dⁿ, kⁿ, gⁿ ]

Lateral: before a homorganic lateral _ [ l ]

/t, d/ [ tˡ  dˡ ]

Lenis Obstruent Devoicing.

Release marking: Before a non-homorganic

plosive [ ̚ ]

No release: Before homorganic plosive [ ͡ ]

/ b, d, g, ʤ, v, ð, z, ʒ /

They are devoicing

Between voiced sounds

After or before a ||

/ p, t, k, f, θ, s, ʃ, ʧ /

Nasal / m, n, ŋ /

They are slightly devoice when preceded by voiceless consonants within the same word!

/m, n, ŋ/ [m̥ n̥ ŋ̊] [-voi]_