Key Points to Remember

1. Phonetics and Phonology

Chapter 1: Phonetics vs. Phonology

• Subtitle: Definitions and Examples

  • Phonetics: Studies physical speech sounds (e.g., tongue movement for /s/).

  • Phonology: Studies abstract sound patterns (e.g., how /p/ and /b/ change word meanings).

  • Key Tools:

    • IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet): Used to transcribe sounds (e.g., “cat” = /kæt/).

    • Minimal Pairs: Words like “pin” vs. “bin” show phoneme contrasts.

Chapter 2: Branches of Phonetics

• Subtitle: Articulatory, Acoustic, and Auditory Phonetics

  • Articulatory Phonetics: How sounds are made (e.g., /m/ = lips closed).

  • Acoustic Phonetics: Sound wave properties (e.g., pitch = frequency in Hz).

  • Auditory Phonetics: How listeners perceive sounds (e.g., distinguishing /p/ vs. /b/).

Chapter 3: Branches of Phonology

• Subtitle: Segmental and Suprasegmental Phonology

  • Segmental Phonology: Studies individual sounds (phonemes) like /t/, /d/, /a/, /i/.

    • Example: /p/ vs. /b/ in “pat” vs. “bat” changes meaning.

  • Suprasegmental Phonology: Studies features beyond single sounds:

    • Stress: Syllable emphasis (e.g., “TEACHer” vs. “teACH”).

    • Intonation: Pitch changes in questions vs. statements.

    • Juncture: Pauses affecting meaning (e.g., “night rate” vs. “nitrate”).

Chapter 4: Phonological Processes

• Subtitle: Assimilation and Elision

  • Assimilation: Sounds blend (e.g., “can go” → [kæŋɡoʊ], where /n/ becomes /ŋ/ before /g/).

  • Elision: Sounds omitted (e.g., “friendship” → [frenʃɪp], dropping /d/).