Week 2 - SEGMENTATION

Question 1

First Perspective in PHONETICS:

Articulatory Phonetics

Answer 1

the study of the ORGANS OF SPEECH and their use in producing speech sounds

Question 2

Second Perspective in PHONETICS:

Acoustic Phonetics

Answer 2

the study of the PHYSICAL PROPERTIES of the SOUNDS produced in speaking

Question 3

Third Perspective in PHONETICS:

Auditory/Perceptional Phonetics

Answer 3

the study of the PERCEPTION of /speech sounds/ by the EAR, NERVOUS SYSTEM, and BRAIN

Question 4

The Phonetic Stream of Speech - How does it look on a spectogram?

Answer 4

Shading at a point on a spectrogram indicates the intensity at that frequency at that point in time.

we can see: NO CLEAR CONSISTENT BOUNDARIES BETWEEN PHONES IN ACOUSTIC TERMS

Question 5

Segmentation of the phonetic stream

Sequence of Discrete Phones Abstraction

Answer 5

Speech = Continuous stream of sound
CONTAINING: freq. LESS THAN CLEAT divisions into SEGMENTS

Speech as a SEQUENCE OF DISCRETE PHONES is a useful abstraction - eg. k^h - æ - t

Segmentation into phones = NOT explicict in forms of speech. they result from analysis of how speech is produced
USEFUL ANALYSES??
- YES, in description of language
- NO, in Electronic Speech Recog

Question 6

Segmentation in terms of; PHONETIC TARGETS

Answer 6

We can analyse the phonetic stream as the result of moving the articulators from PHONETIC TARGET to Phonetic target

• individual sounds can be concieved of as having a sepcific ‘INTENDED’ articulation = ARTICULATORY TARGET
  ((and/or specific acoustic target))

BUT: articulators req. time n effort to move between targets, (sometimes articulatory targets aint reached)

Question 7

Articulatory Transitions

Answer 7

• BRIEF, but auditorilary important

The transition of a VOWEL –> FOLLOWING CONSONANT provides auditory CUES in advance as to what that consonant is.
Even when the final consonant is digitally removed, or rendered indistinct due to eg sudden noise.

BAG –> BA– ( we still know its bag due to way a transitions)

Question 8

Articulatory Undershoot

Answer 8

(normal speech) Articulators freq DO NOT MEET (presumed) ARTICULATORY TARGETS

UNDERSHOOT varies according to:
- STYLE N SPEED OF SPEECH
EG (g in “recognition”. airflow stops when careful pronounce. airflow keeps going in casual)
- PHYSICAL N EMOTIONAL STATE
- PHONETIC TARGETS OF NEIGHBOURING SOUNDS

Question 9

What can an articulatory target be summarised in terms of?

Remember: Orchestra of Speech

Answer 9

a single phone results from ORCHESTRATED ACTION of many parts of vocal system

articulator target can b summarised in terms of:

Rascal Vermin Sneak Back To Back, Leaving Laura’sJAMBOREE

• Respiration
• Vocal Folds
• Soft Palate
• Body of Tongue
• Tip/Blade of Tongue
• Lips
• Lower Jaw

Question 10

Alignment of articulatory actions

Answer 10

Individual articulatory actions are not perfectly

aligned - might be why its so hard to SEGMENT speech specifically (my thought)

Question 11

Co-articulation

Answer 11

Transition between targets can result in an INCIDENTAL SIMULTANEOUS ARTICULATION which is NOT a specific PHONETIC TARGET: co-articulation.

eg /kt/ sequence in cocktail

Question 12

Complex Consonants

Answer 12

artic. of SOME consonants cant be desc in terms of SINGLE PRIMARY CONSTRICTION
eg single primary constriction in velar [k]

THIS is distinct from incidental co-articulation, COMPLEX CONSONANTS = PHONETIC TARGET WITH 2 CONSTRICTIONS

• some 2 primary const
• some primary and secondary const.

Question 13

Timing in Complex consonants

Answer 13

• (Near-) Simultaneous: both targets at same time
• Sequential: One after other
• Simultaneous onset, Sequential Release (EG: Clicks, Ejectives, Implosives)

Question 14

TWO PRIMARY CONSTRICTIONS

NEAR-SIMULTANEOUS

Answer 14

• LABIAL-VELAR
  > Labial-Velar Approx: voiced [w]> Voicless labial-velar fricative: [ʍ] in Scottish Eng [ʍɪtʃ] ‘which’> Labial-Velar Stops and Nasal: [k^p] [g^b] [m͡ŋ] - NB IPA bridge symbol
  eg Yoruba [ak^pa] ‘arm’

Bridge symbol should look like [m͡ŋ]

Question 15

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY CONSTRICTIONS

SEQUENTIAL

Answer 15

AFFRICATES: stop + fricative

• voiceless [tʃ] as in ‘church’
  > compare English ‘catch it’ [tʃ] vs ‘catshit’ [t.ʃ]
  > stop phase of affricate is typically not an actual apico-alveolar, but more retracted
  > voiced [dʒ] as in ‘judge’

GERMAN:

• pfeffer “pepper” [pf}
• zeit “time” [ts]

Question 16

Other stop+release sequences in Complex Consonants?

Answer 16

STOP+NASAL RELEASE (aka pre-stopped nasal)
- [pm] [tn] [kŋ] - also written [tⁿ] etc
> Arrernte [tnəmə] ‘stand’
> (Arrernte ‘Baby Talk’ [kŋkŋ] ‘water’)

STOP+ LATERAL APPROXIMANT RELEASE
- n [dl] [tl] - also [dl ] (little l)
>[dlu:ni] ‘mouse’ Ahtna (US)

STOP+TRILL RELEASE
- [dr]

Question 17

NON Stop+Release Sequences sequences in COMPLEX CONSONANTS?

Answer 17

NASAL+STOP SEQUENCE (aka pre-nasalised stop)
- [mb] [nd] [ŋg]
> eg Fijian [nandi] ‘Nadi’ n orthographic ‘d’ represents [nd]