SPEECH SOUNDS SYSTEM of English

CONTENTS
Definition of a Speech Sound
Systematic character of Speech Sounds
Sound producing mechanisms

Definition
Speech Sound is a human patterned noise,
noise with organization .
It’s organized
articulatory,
acoustically, auditory
functionally

Sound producing mechanisms
From the articulatory aspect the following mechanisms are often distinguished:
power mechanism
vibrator mechanism
resonator mechanism
obstructive mechanism

Power mechanism
includes mainly the lungs.
The function of the power mechanism is to supply the sound producing organs with energy in the form of the air stream / air pressure coming from the lungs

Vibrator mechanism
is mainly the Larynx ( the upper part of the windpipe) with the vocal cords and the glottis situated in it.
V.M. is both articulatory & acoustic mechanism, its main function – to produce different types of vibrations:
regular / periodic
& irregular / non-periodic

regular / periodic vibrations
give rise to voice;
irregular / non-periodic vibrations give rise to noise.
As physical / acoustic phenomenon vibrations can be measured by
frequency ( in hertz),
intensity (in decibels),
duration (in seconds)

Acoustically Auditory
frequency is acquired as height of voice / tone intensity as loudness duration as length
The greater number of vibrations are produced the higher voice (tone) is obtained

RERSONATOR MECHANISM
Cavities: pharynx,
mouth cavity,
nasal cavity .
The function of the mouth cavity –
to give rise to VOWELS
(to define their qualities)
by changing the size, shape & volume of the mouth resonator.

The size, shape & volume of the mouth cavity is modified by the tongue & the lips.
Vowels are classified according to:
position of the tongue
position of the lips
historical length & final phase of articulation
stability

Positions of the tongue
horizontal & vertical
horizontal
front: [i:], [e], [æ]
front-retracted: [I]
central / mixed: [3:],[ә] ^]
back-advanced [U], [a:]
back [כ ], [u:], [כ:]

vertical
high [ i:], [u:]
[ וּ ], [U]
mid [e] [3:], [ ә], [^],
broad & narrow variations
of each group
low [æ], [a:], [ כ:], [כּ]

Historical length & final phase of articulation:
According to the historical length –
Vowels are historically long & short
According to the final phase of articulation:
Free & Checked
Free (historically long Vs) are those in the production of which there is some decrease in the force of articulation;
Checked (historically short Vs) are those in the production of which there no decrease in the force of articulation.
They are always checked by a following consonant

Stability
according to their stability V-s are : monophthongs – stable sounds &
diphthongs – non-stable sounds;
diphthongs:
centring / ingliding : [וּә],[uә],[eә];
& upgliding: [eI ],[әu] [aI], [au], [כI].

OBSTRUCTIVE MECHANISM
The main function of this mechanism is to produce consonants - speech sounds with the obstructions.
The tongue & the lips fulfill the role of obstructors.
The quality of the consonants is defined by the manner of articulation, i.e.
а) the type of obstruction -complete or incomplete,
( Cs: occlusive, constrictive, occlusive – constrictive);
в) the manner of producing noise –
plosives, fricatives, sonants ;

according to the active organs of speech: labial, lingual, pharyngeal.
Labial : bilabial, labio – dental;
Lingual : forelingual, medio – lingual, back – lingual;
Pharyngeal (glottal)
active organs of speech & place of articulation

place of articulation:
dental, alveolar, post-alveolar, palato – alveolar,
palatal, velar;
the kind of noise: voiced & voiceless;
their intensity:
forties – voiceless, lenis – voiced.

ASSIMILATION
Process of influencing of one sound upon the other.
Direction:
progressive: bags [g z], that’s [ts];
regressive – on the ([n] is dental here;
reciprocal – at once [t] [w]:
[t] becomes rounded,
[w] – devoiced.