The IPA
This is a chart of a standardized system of phonetic symbols devised and maintained by the International Phonetic Association.
What is the IPA chart.
The scientific study of human speech sounds, covering how they are produced, transmitted as sound waves, and perceived by the ear.
What is phonetics.
The term used to describe a system of rules capable of generating an infinite number of grammatically correct sentences.
What is generative.
The part of the vocal tract that functions as a resonance chamber for airflow when producing nasal consonants and nasalized vowels.
What is the nasal cavity.
Any distinct physical speech sound or gesture that occurs in spoken or signed language.
What is a phone.
The place and manner of articulation of consonants phones [p] and [b] on the IPA chart.
What are bilabial plosives (stops).
The scientific study of word formation and the internal structure of words.
What is morphology.
The term linguists use for the grammar which studies how people actually use language in everyday speech and writing without making value judgments about correctness.
What is descriptive grammar.
The inside space of the mouth extending from the lips to the back of the tongue where it meets the pharynx. It is the primary resonance and shaping chamber for human speech.
What is the oral cavity.
The smallest unit of sound in a language that can change the meaning of a word.
What is a phoneme.
The place and manner of articulation of the phones [f] and [v] on the IPA chart.
What are labiodental fricatives.
It is the scientific study of how words and morphemes combine to form well-structured phrases, clauses, and sentences
What is syntax.
A set of rules that dictates how a language should be used, rather than how people naturally speak or write it.
What is prescriptive grammar.
A movable part of the vocal tract that dynamically moves toward another structure to constrict or shape the airflow during speech production.
What is an active articulator.
One of multiple phones used to pronounce a single underlying phoneme in a language.
What is an allophone.
What is IPA transcription.
The branch of linguistics that studies how speech sounds are organized, patterned, and function to convey meaning in human languages.
What is phonology.
An evaluation by a language user on whether a specific sentence follows the structural rules and constraints of a language.
What is an acceptability or grammaticality judgment.
A relatively stationary part of the vocal tract that an active articulator approaches or contacts during the production of a speech sound.
What is a passive articulator.
A pairs of words that differ by only a single speech sound in the same position and have different meanings.
What is a minimal pair.
Small symbols added to IPA symbols to expand their descriptive power to include details like tone, stress, nasalization, and aspiration.
What are diacritics.
The scientific study of meaning in language.
What is semantics.
The ability to step back from the normal, everyday use of language and treat language itself as an object of thought, analysis, and reflection.
What is metalinguistic awareness.
The opening between the vocal folds (vocal cords) inside the larynx.
What is the glottis.
A relationship where two or more distinct sounds appear in the same phonetic environment, and swapping one for the other changes the meaning of the word.
What is contrastive distribution.