LINGUIST 1A03 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Acoustic Phonetics, Articulatory Phonetics, Vocal Folds

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Linguistics
• Course: LINGUIST 1A03
• Professor: Catherine Anderson

Document Summary

The field of phonetics studies the sounds of human speech. When studying speech, they can be considered from two angles. Acoustic phonetics: concerned with the physical, acoustic properties of the sound waves we produce. Articulatory phonetics: how we use our bodies to produce speech sounds. The process starts with respiration as air flows up from the lungs. (respiration) Phonation occurs at the larynx, where the vocal folds may or may not vibrate to produce voicing, (phonation) then we use our mouth, jaw, lips, teeth and tongue to shape the sound, which is called articulation. (articulation) Opening of the larynx can be covered by two triangle shaped pieces of skin called vocal cords- better name is vocal folds. The opening between the vocal folds is the glottis. We can control our vocal folds to make a sound. Humans produce speech by bringing air from the lungs through the larynx, where the vocal folds may or may not vibrate.