UTH Descriptive Grammar (Phonetics/Phonology) 2013/2014

1. Preliminaries

1.1 Stress in Polish and English

po-do-ga a-le-ja
p do-g -le-j

-- if podoga and aleja were to sound English, full vowels /o, a/ would have to get reduced
to // (a reduced vowel schwa) in unaccented/unstressed syllables

Tonic stress:

the pitch (tone level) of the stressed syllable is higher than the pitch of the unstressed
syllables >

(i) no reduced vowels; (ii) all the vowels are full (= full-length) vowels

Dynamic stress:

the stressed syllable is more powerful and intensive, and it requires more breath force
(or: more power from the lungs) than the unstressed syllables >

(i) only full (= full-length) vowels can appear in accented syllables; (ii) only reduced
vowels can appear in unaccented syllables

Kanada // Canada [`kn - - d]

Dominika // Dominica [d - `mn - - k]
liberalizm // liberalism [`lib - r - l - - zm]
balon // balloon [b - `lu:n]
mimoza // mimosa [m - `m - z]
komfort // komfort [`km - ft]
banana // banana [b - `na: - n]
madonna // madonna [m - `dn - ]
naturalno // naturalness [`n - r - l - ns]

Generally, in English transcribe and pronounce either // or // in unaccented syllables.

1.2 Isochrony

-- at a given tempo, an equal amount of time is taken (i) between each stressed syllables and
(ii) between the last stressed syllable and the end of the utterance

_________________ one-syllable unit: some

________ ________ two-syllable unit: crazy
_____ _____ _____ three-syllable unit: foreigners

`some`crazy`foreigners are `coming to`night

t1 = t2 = t3 = t4 = t5

They couldnt have chosen a better time for their holiday.

They`couldnt have`chosen a`better`time for their`holiday.

/ `kdnt hv `zn `bet `tam f `hldi/

`John `saw `two `dogs.

`Betty `waited `seven `minutes.
`Fighting him `shouldnt be `terribly `dangerous.

Generally, although English is not an isochronous language, it anyway shows a tendency for
isochrony.
2. Consonants: manner of articulation
the articulatory mechanism (how a given sound is produced) in which a given sound is
produced

Basically, there are just 2 ways/manners/techniques of how consonants can be produced: a

closure (3 types) and a narrowing (2 types).

2.1 Complete closure organs of speech form/produce a barrier/stoppage to stop the air
stream completely
/km`pli:t `kl/ /`plsvz/

(i) plosives: /p b/ /t d/ /k g/ //
- complete closure + plosion >-----(<)

(ii) affricates: / / -- /c dz/ /cz d/ / d/

- complete closure + friction >-----~
/`frkts/

(iii) nasals: /m/ /n/ // -- /m/ /n/ //

- complete closure + nasalization >-----<
/`ne.zlz/

2.2 Intermittent (on&off) closure organs of speech form a closure (i) for a single tap
(touch) or (ii) for a series of taps of the tongue against the hard palate

(i) rolls (trills): the Polish /r/

(ii) flaps (taps):

- BrE: /r/ [] V_V (= in the inter-vocalic position = between
vowels); merry, sorry, very
- AmE: /t d/ [] V_V (= between vowels and vowel-like
consonants, such as /l/); metal/medal, matter/madder

2.3 Partial closure organs of speech form a barrier

through which the air stream can escape
/`pa:l/
laterals: /l/ || /`ltrlz/

2.4 Narrowing organs of speech form a gap (passage) through which the air stream can
escape with or without friction

(i) fricatives (spirants): /f v/ / / /s z/ / / /h/ --

/f v/ /s z/ /sz / / / / x h/ ~
/`frktvz/

- narrowing + friction

(ii) approximants:
 - BrE frictionless continuant //; red, Britain
- AmE retroflex (colouring r); bird, dark
- semi-vowels (glides): /w/ /j/

- narrowing + no friction
3. Consonants: place of articulation
the point of interference (contact or narrowing) between the organs of speech and the stream
of air

Place
bi labio den post alveo post palato pala velar glott
labial dental tal dental lar alveo alveo tal al
Manner lar lar

(p b) (t d) (k g)
plosives
pb td kg

(c dz) (cz d) ( d)
affricates

(f w) (s z) (sz ) ( ) (x)
fricatives
fv s z H

(m) (n) ()
nasals
m n

(l)
lateral
l

tap

approxi () (j)
mant
w J

/,ba`lebl/ /,leb`den.tl/ /,lv`l/ /`p.l.tl/ /`vi:l/ /`gl.tl/

Bilabial The lower lip articulates with the upper lip.
Labiodental The lower lip articulates with the upper teeth.
Dental The tip of the tongue articulates with the upper teeth.
Alveolar The tip or the blade of the tongue articulates with the alveolar ridge.
Postalveolar The tip or the blade of the tongue articulates with the back area of the
alveolar ridge.
Palatal The front of the tongue articulates with the hard palate.
Velar The back of the tongue articulates with the soft palate.

How are we going to use these terms?

The terms/names we use for the manners and places of articulation can be used as nouns and
as adjectives:

The sound /p/ is bilabial (adjective); /p/ is a bilabial (adjective) consonant; /p/ is a bilabial
(noun); /p/ and /b/ are bilabials/plosives; */p/ is bilabial consonant.

Task: Describe the differences in the manner and place of articulation of the indicated
plosives:

(i) lato vs. letter / `let/:

-- place Pol /t/ is post-dental, Eng /t/ is alveolar;
-- manner Pol /t/ is unaspirated, Eng /t/ is weakly aspirated

(ii) takt vs. tact /`tkt/:

/#t/
-- place Pol /t/ is post-dental, Eng /t/ is alveolar;
-- manner Pol /t/ is unaspirated, Eng /t/ is strongly aspirated

/k/
-- manner Pol /k/ is audible (articulated with plosion), Eng /k/ is inaudible (articulated with
no plosion, blocked by the following /t/) [ko]

/t#/
-- place Pol /t/ is post-dental, Eng /t/ is alveolar;
-- manner Pol /t/ is unaspirated, Eng /t/ is weakly aspirated

tytu vs. title

-- place both /t/ in Polish are post dental, and both /t/ in English are alveolar
-- manner both /t/ in Polish are unaspirated, while /#t/ in English is strongly aspirated and
/-t-/ is blocked by /l/, [tl]

3.1 Useful typological generalizations

`obstruents (relatively high degree of obstruction to the air stream + little resonance):
plosives, affricates, fricatives

so`norants (relatively high degree of free flow of the air stream + much resonation):
nasals, laterals, taps, approximants {+ vowels}

3.2 Phonetic (descriptive) definitions

/k/ - a voiceless velar plosive

// - a voiced dental fricative

// - a (voiced) velar nasal

/t/ - a voiceless alveolar plosive

// - a voiced palato-alveolar affricate

/j/ - a palatal approximant (or: semi-vowel, or: glide)