Phonetics in English

1. 1
Pulmonic
Glottalic
Velaric
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Lecture 2

2. Airstream Mechanisms
It refers to the movement of lung air by the
respiratory muscles. Most sounds are produced with
a pulmonic airstream mechanism
It refers to the means of initiating a speech sound,
including pulmonic, glottalic, and velaric.
mechanisms may be involved.
• Pulmonic Airstream Mechanism:
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3. It refers to the movement of pharynx air by
the action of the glottis. An upward movement
of the closed glottis will move the air out of the
mouth; a downward movement of the closed
glottis will cause air to be sucked into the
mouth.
Glottalic Airstream Mechanism:
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4. It refers to the movement of mouth air by
action of the tongue. There is a velar closure
formed by raising the back of the tongue
when using the velaric airstream mechanism.
• Velaric Airstream Mechanism:
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5. Pulmonic Egressive Sounds
• Air flow is directed outwards towards the oral cavity
• Pressure built by compression of lungs
• English [p], [n], [s], [l], [e]
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6. 6
•Air flow is directed inwards (in going) from
the oral cavity into the lungs.
•The air pressure is forced to flow into the
lungs .
•Sound produced is similar to the sound
of gasp that made when the person is in
surprise
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7. Glottalic Egressive Sounds
(ejectives(
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•Air flow is directed outwards towards the
oral cavity
•Pressure built by pushing up closed
glottis
•Georgian [p’], [t’], [k’]
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8. Glottalic Ingressive Sounds
(implosives(
•Air flow is directed inwards from the oral
cavity
• Pressure reduced by pulling down
closed glottis
•Hausa, Sindhi [ , ]ɓ ɠ
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9. Velaric Ingressive Sounds
•Air flow is directed inwards from the
oral cavity
• Pressure reduced by forming velaric
and alveolar closure and pulling down
tongue
•Clicks [kissing , gee up]
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10. Consonants (Non-pulmonic(
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11. States of the glottis
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The glottis refers to the space between the vocal folds.
Based on the actions of the vocal folds, the glottis
can assume four different shapes. This results in four
different types of phonation:
voiceless breathy or murmur
voiced  creaky or laryngealized
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12. The shape of the glottis
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13. The vocal folds are pulled apart.
Air flows freely through the spread glottis.
Hence, vocal fold vibration does not occur and
no voicing is produced.
Truly voiceless sounds (like “f” and “s” in
English) involve little or no flow of air through the
glottis.
(1( Voiceless
Open glottis
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14. The vocal folds are close together (but not
shut).
The air pushing through the constricted glottis
causes the vocal folds to vibrate, producing
voicing. /d,g,b/
(2( Voiced
vibrating glottis
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15. The vocal folds are pulled apart but a greater
amount of air flows through them with
voiceless sounds, causing the vocal folds to
vibrate slightly. The murmur is represented by
[..]
English aha [aha] vs. heart [hart]
a[h]ead
(3( Breathy Voice ~ Murmur
Murmur
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16. The vocal folds are closed between the arytenoid
cartilages but are open at the anterior end.
A large amount of air flow through the glottis causes
the vocal folds to vibrate slightly.
Indicated by a tilde under the sound:
Creaky voice in Mazatec Creaky
voice in Mpi
(4) Creaky Voice ~ Laryngealized
Creaky voice
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17. The Glottal Stop [?]
The vocal folds are firmly pressed together so that air
cannot pass between them.
It is the sound that English speakers make between “
oh-oh” or the hamza in Arabic in a word like ““ ‫أ‬‫حمد‬
Closed glottis
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18. 3systems of speech
Respiratory
Phonatory (Laryngeal)
Articulatory (Supralaryngeal)
3Airstream Mechanisms
4States of the Glottis
Pulmonic (egressive & ingressive)
Glottalic (egressive & ingressive)
Velaric (ingressive)
Voiced
Voiceless
Breathy/Murmur
Creaky/Laryngealized
SummarySummary
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