Phonetics

phonetics (fəˈnɛtɪks) 

 

(Phonetics & Phonology) (functioning as singular) the science concerned with the study of speech processes, including the production, perception, and analysis of speech sounds from both an acoustic and a physiological point of view. This science, though capable of being applied to language studies, technically excludes linguistic considerations. Compare phonology.

•  the science or study of speech sounds and their production, transmission, and perception, and their analysis, classification, and transcription.

•   the science or study of speech sounds with respect to their role in distinguishing meanings among words.

•   the phonetic system of a particular language. Cf. phonology. — phonetician, n. — phonetic, phonetical, adj. See also: Linguistics

It has three  subfields or branches on human speech sound, such as :

•  Articulatory phonetics. This examines the articulatory (vocal) organs and their role in the production of speech sounds.

•   Acoustic phonetics. This deals with the physicalproperties of speech sounds as they travel through the air in the form of sound waves.

•   Auditory phonetics, which examines the way in which human beings perceive speech sounds through the medium of the ear.

Sounds can be divided into two main types. A vowel is a sound that needs an open air passage in the mouth. The air passage can be modified in terms of shape with different mouth and tongue shapes producing different vowels. A consonant is formed when the air stream is restricted or stopped at some point between the vocal cords and the lips. the central sound in the word 'cat' is a vowel. The first and third sound are consonants.

 

Place of Articulation

Place of articulation are the places where speech sounds produced. These places are basically comes from  the organ of human baing. The places of articulation areas follows:

• Bilabial

Bilabial is a speech sound made by both upper and lowe lip. these speech sounds are represented by the symbol [p],[b],[m]. (bibir atas bertemu bibir bawah)

Example: Pet, Bat, Mat

               Pen, Band, Men

               Pie, Buy, My

• Labiodental

Labiodental is a speech sound formed with upper teeth and lower lip. The speech aound can be represented by symbol [f] and [v]. (gigi atas bertemu bibir bawah)

Example: Fan, Van

               Fat, Vate

               Safe, Save

(note: Paragraph, Cough, Photo [f] )

• Dental

Dental is a speech sound produced with the tongue againts the upper fron teeth. The speech sound can be represented by the symbol [0] and [d]. (lidah bertemu gigi ta depan)

Example: [0] Teeth, Three, Thursday, Theory

               [d] The, There, Then, Thus, Therefore

• Alveolar

Alveolar is a speech sound fomed with the tongue touching behind the upper front teeth. The speech sound can be represented by the symbol [t], [d], [n], [s], [z]. (lidah menyentuh belakang gigi atas)

Example: Tie, Die, Nut, See, Zoo 

               Top, Dip, Nice, Sit, Zebra

• Palatal

Palatal is a speech sund produced with the tongue and the palate. The speech sound can be represesnted by the symbol [f] "sh" and [tf] "ch". (lidah dengan langit langit mulut)

Example: [f] Shoe, Brush, Wash, Dish, Shall

               [tf] Church, Chicken, Teacher, Cheat, Chat

• Velar 

Velar is a speech sound produced with the back of the tongue againts the velum (soft palate). the speech sound can be resperenseted by the symbol [k] and [g]. (belakang lidah bertemu dengan bagian belakang langit-langit)

Example: [k] Kid, Kill, Kick, Car, Cold, Can, Cook

               [g] Bag, Mug, Good, Goose, Glass

•  Glottal

Glottal is a speech sound produced without the active use of the tongue and other pars of the mouth. This speech sond can be represented by the symbol [h] (tidak aktif menggunakan lidah dan bagian lain dari mulut)

Example: Have, Has, House, Whom, Whose, Who  

source:

   introduction to linguistics.Loreto Todd.

   a coursebook of pronuncition.FadhlyFarhy Abbas,M.Pd

  http://www.thefreedictionary.com/phonetics