Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology

Konrad Szcześniak

University of Silesia

Phonology vs

Phonetics

Descriptive Grammar

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology

Konrad Szcześniak

University of Silesia

[F

IRST

,

TWO

FUN

EXAMPLES

]

Sounds

/ʂ/

and

/ɕ/

In Polish, important difference between the sounds

/ʂ/

(as in

kasza

) and

/ɕ/

(as in

Kasia

).

The same two sounds in Portuguese, but can be used
interchangeably without causing a difference in
meaning: e.g.

chegar, casca

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology

Konrad Szcześniak

University of Silesia

[F

IRST

,

TWO

FUN

EXAMPLES

]

Sounds

/

ʎ

/

and

/l/

In Portuguese, important difference between the
sounds

/ʎ/

(as in

pilha

) and

/l/

(as in

pila

).

The same two sounds in Polish, but can be used
interchangeably without causing a difference in
meaning. In some regions of Poland,

/l/

is

pronounced as

/ʎ/

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology

Konrad Szcześniak

University of Silesia

[F

IRST

,

TWO

FUN

EXAMPLES

]

In each pair, (

/ʎ/

-

/l/

and

/ʂ/

-

/ɕ/

), the sounds are are

physically the same in both languages: The Polish

/ʂ/

sounds the same as the

/ʂ/

in Portuguese.

But the two languages treat them differently:

In one language, the two sounds are two completely
different animals, whereas in the other language, they
are only two versions of the same sound.

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology

Konrad Szcześniak

University of Silesia

[

PHONETICS

VS

.

PHONOLOGY

]

When two sounds are separate independent units,
they are

phonemes

. If they are just versions of the

same phoneme, they are called

allophones

.

The status of a sound within a language – phonology.
The physical properties of that sound – phonetics.

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology

Konrad Szcześniak

University of Silesia

[

PHONETICS

VS

.

PHONOLOGY

]

Think of…
phonet

ics

as the phys

ics

of sound;

Phon

ology

as the psych

ology

of sound.

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology

Konrad Szcześniak

University of Silesia

[

PHONETICS

VS

.

PHONOLOGY

]

Phonology attempts to study how…

the sound system of a given language is organized in
the brain.

We keep a list of sounds in our minds and the system
specifies which differences between sounds are
important.

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology

Konrad Szcześniak

University of Silesia

[

PHONETICS

VS

.

PHONOLOGY

]

Phonetics looks at the physical aspects of language
sounds:

how they are produced (

articulatory phonetics

)

how they travel through the air (

acoustic phonetics

)

Some linguists argue that phonetics is not part of
linguistics (!).

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology

Konrad Szcześniak

University of Silesia

[

PHONETICS

VS

.

PHONOLOGY

]

Phonetics is not easily separable from phonology.

(Just like physics relies on mathematics, or biology
―cooperates‖ with chemistry)

Phonology consults phonetics to explain why the
system of sounds is organized the way it is.

Sometimes, hard to say whether a given topic should
be studied by

phoneticians

or

phonologists

.

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology

Konrad Szcześniak

University of Silesia

[

PHONETICS

OR

PHONOLOGY

?]

Consonant clusters

– sequences of consonants

pronounced together without intervening vowels.

Languages specify how many and what kinds of
consonants can be pronounced together:

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology

Konrad Szcześniak

University of Silesia

[

PHONETICS

OR

PHONOLOGY

?]

Japanese, very unforgivingly intolerant of clusters:

Karaoke, Toyota, Suzuki, origami, teriyaki, wasabi,
kamikaze, kimono, sayonara, tsunami, sushi, sake;

Kurisumasu, Piusutsuki, futuboru, kurimu (cream);

The only exceptions:

Honda, Porando, manga

Is the above a fact of phonology or phonetics?

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology

Konrad Szcześniak

University of Silesia

[

PHONETICS

OR

PHONOLOGY

?]

English a lot more tolerant:

Plot, splash, cream, scream, treat, street

But:

*ltrap, *pfall, *bnip,

Polish veeeeery tolerant:

pstry, dżdżownica, krtań

But: *

ndach, *trspar, *tkroska,

Is the above a fact of phonology or phonetics?

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology

Konrad Szcześniak

University of Silesia

[

PHONETICS

OR

PHONOLOGY

?]

Japanese phonology states that a Japanese word can‘t
have more than two consonants together.
A Japanese speaker‘s mind won‘t let them pronounce
consonant sequences, even if you tell them to (they
will separate consonants with /

u/

)

In Polish, we can pronounce

ndach, trspar, tkroska,

but we feel there‘s something strange about these
words. It is our knowledge of the Polish phonological
system that tells us there‘s something strange.

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology

Konrad Szcześniak

University of Silesia

[

PHONETICS

OR

PHONOLOGY

?]

But it‘s not only phonology.

Long complicated consonant clusters are physically
hard to pronounce. This is a fact of phonetics.

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology

Konrad Szcześniak

University of Silesia

[C

ONSONANT

CLUSTERS

IN

E

NGLISH

]

In English, words of Greek origin:

Psalm, pseudo, psychology, psychiatry, psyche,
psycho, psychic,

and all other psych- words

Pneumatic, pneumonia

How are they pronounced? Why?

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology

Konrad Szcześniak

University of Silesia

[C

ONSONANT

CLUSTERS

IN

E

NGLISH

]

In English, words begining with kn-:

Knave, knee, knell, knickers, knight, knob, knock,
know, knuckle,

etc.

Why is the letter ‗k‘ in the spelling?

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology

Konrad Szcześniak

University of Silesia

[C

ONSONANT

CLUSTERS

IN

E

NGLISH

]

English has a general phonological prohibition
against pronouncing kn together. It‘s across-the-
board—it applies always, to all words.

Knave, knee, knell, knickers, knight, knob, know,

But the phonology of old English allowed these
clusters.

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics and Phonology

Konrad Szcześniak

University of Silesia

[C

ONSONANT

CLUSTERS

IN

E

NGLISH

]

Technical terms you‘ll be expected to be able to
define:

phoneme,
allophone,
phonology,
phonetics,
consonant cluster