Linguistics and Phonetics
Expert-defined terms from the Specialist Certification in Lip-reading and Communication Studies course at London School of Business and Administration. Free to read, free to share, paired with a globally recognised certification pathway.
A #
A
Alveolar #
Alveolar
- The term "alveolar" refers to sounds produced by placing the tongue against th… #
Examples of alveolar sounds in English include /t/, /d/, /s/, and /z/.
Articulation #
Articulation
- Articulation is the process of physically producing speech sounds using the ar… #
Good articulation is essential for clear communication in spoken language.
B #
B
Bilabial #
Bilabial
- Bilabial sounds are produced by bringing both lips together #
Examples of bilabial sounds in English include /p/, /b/, and /m/.
C #
C
Consonant #
Consonant
- Consonants are speech sounds produced by obstructing the airflow in some way #
They contrast with vowels, which are produced without any obstruction in the vocal tract.
D #
D
Dental #
Dental
- Dental sounds are produced by placing the tongue against the upper front teeth #
In English, the /θ/ and /ð/ sounds are examples of dental sounds.
E #
E
F #
F
G #
G
H #
H
I #
I
Intonation #
Intonation
- Intonation refers to the patterns of pitch changes in speech #
It can convey information about the speaker's emotions, intentions, and the structure of the utterance.
J #
J
K #
K
L #
L
Labialization #
Labialization
- Labialization refers to the rounding of the lips during the production of a sp… #
It can affect the quality of the sound and is found in languages around the world.
M #
M
Manner of Articulation #
Manner of Articulation
- Manner of articulation describes how speech sounds are produced in terms of th… #
Common manners of articulation include stops, fricatives, and nasals.
N #
N
Nasal #
Nasal
- Nasal sounds are produced by allowing air to escape through the nose while the… #
In English, the /m/, /n/, and /ŋ/ sounds are nasal.
O #
O
P #
P
Palatal #
Palatal
- Palatal sounds are produced by raising the middle part of the tongue towards t… #
Examples of palatal sounds in English include /ʃ/ and /ʒ/.
Palatalization #
Palatalization
- Palatalization refers to the articulation of a sound with the front of the ton… #
It is a common feature in many languages, affecting the quality of certain sounds.
Phoneme #
Phoneme
- A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in a language that can change the mean… #
For example, in English, the sounds /p/ and /b/ are phonemes because they can distinguish words like "pat" and "bat."
Phonetics #
Phonetics
- Phonetics is the study of the physical production and perception of speech sou… #
It examines how sounds are made using the vocal tract and how they are perceived by the human ear.
Phonology #
Phonology
- Phonology is the study of the sound patterns of a language, including the syst… #
It is concerned with the abstract mental representations of sounds in a language.
Place of Articulation #
Place of Articulation
- Place of articulation describes where in the vocal tract a speech sound is pro… #
Common places of articulation include the bilabial, alveolar, and velar regions.
Plosive #
Plosive
- Plosive sounds are produced by completely blocking the airflow in the vocal tr… #
Examples of plosive sounds in English include /p/, /t/, and /k/.
Q #
Q
R #
R
S #
S
Sibilant #
Sibilant
- Sibilant sounds are characterized by a high-pitched, hissing quality #
They are produced by directing a stream of air over the edge of the tongue towards the teeth. Examples of sibilant sounds in English include /s/ and /ʃ/.
Stop #
Stop
- Stop sounds are produced by completely blocking the airflow in the vocal tract… #
They are also known as plosive sounds and are found in many languages around the world.
T #
T
U #
U
V #
V
Velar #
Velar
- Velar sounds are produced by raising the back of the tongue towards the soft p… #
Examples of velar sounds in English include /k/ and /g/.
Velarization #
Velarization
- Velarization refers to the articulation of a sound with the back of the tongue… #
It is a common feature in many languages, affecting the quality of certain sounds.
Voiced #
Voiced
- Voiced sounds are produced with vibration of the vocal cords #
In English, sounds like /b/, /d/, and /g/ are voiced, while sounds like /p/, /t/, and /k/ are voiceless.
Voicing #
Voicing
- Voicing refers to the vibration of the vocal cords during the production of a… #
It is a crucial feature for distinguishing between sounds like /s/ and /z/ in English.