Key ideas and terminology
It is the discipline that studies the sound system in a language.
It is a member of a particular phoneme set and the actual physical realization of a sound. We can predict where it will be in a phonological environment.
An allophone
"dip" and "ship"
Yes! [dɪp] [ʃɪp] only differ from [d] and [ʃ]. With more data, we could assume that since there is overlapping distribution (they occur in the same phonological environments) that are different allophones of two phonemes. /d/ --> [d] /ʃ/ --> [ʃ]
We use these when writing the phonemic form. We use these when writing the phonetic form.
slashes //
brackets []
[f, v, p, b, m, w, w̥]
Labials
It is the smallest unit of speech that can make a difference in meaning in a language. It is the underlying mental abstract form.
A phoneme
These are allophones or allophonic sounds that do not make a difference in the meaning of a word (when considering a minimal pair). Example - [t] and [th]
Non-contrastive sounds
"rough" vs. "though"
No! [rʌf] [ðoʊ] Even though they look similar orthographically, they are not minimal pairs!
It is when the sound becomes more alike in some phonetic way to the segments surrounding it. For example, in English the nasal sound changes to the place of articulate to the sound that follows it.
unbelievable --> [ʌmbəlivəbl̩]
Assimilation.
The "n" assimilates from alveolar to bilabial [m] when it is in front the bilabial sound [b].
Stops, fricatives, affricates
Obstruents
They are what governs how sounds combined in a language (i.e., what is permissible and what is not).
Phonotactic constraints
When considering minimal pairs, there are phonemic sounds that do make a difference in meaning. Ex., [pæn] v. [væn] - we know that /p/ and /v/ are phonemes.
Contrastive distribution.
"sheet" vs. "sheath"
Yes! [ʃit] and [ʃiθ] only differ by the last sound [t] and [θ], which cause a difference in meaning (contrastive sounds).
It is when an additional sound is added to the phonetic form of a word. /ˈhæmstɹ̩/ --> [ˈhæmpstɹ̩]
Insertion.
[s ʃ ʧ z ʒ ʤ]
Sibilants - high-pitched "hissing" sounds
They are the sounds are included in a language by native speakers.
The phonetic inventory
It's the type of phonological rule that causes non-native accent when speaking in an additional language (ex., When English speakers speak Spanish using these types of rules, like aspiration of voiceless stops and vowel reduction).
Obligatory rules.
"bathe" vs. "maze"
No! [beɪð] and [meɪz] differ by two sounds [b] - [d] and [ð] - [z].
It is the name of the process when we aspirate voiceless stops /p t k/ in English.
"panther" --> [phænθɹ̩]
Strengthening (aspiration is the example of this).
[p b m f v w w̥]
Labials
It's what happens when you apply the phonotactic constraints of one language in another you are learning.
"Foreign" or non-native accents.
These are the patterns we see in a language and cross-linguistically that help us understand the how common and less common sounds behave, show up, are acquired, and change over time.
Implicational laws
"glitter" vs. "litter"
No! [glɪɾɹ̩] and [lɪɾɹ̩] don't have the same number of sounds, so they cannot be minimal pairs.
It is when we employ flapping of /t, d/ in Englis betwee a stressed and. a non-stressed vowel.
“knit” [nɪt] “knitted” [nɪɾəd]
Weakening (flapping is an example of this).
ɾ, nasals, liquids, glides, and vowels
Sonorants