Phonetics- Definition of phonetics

1 :the system of speech sounds of a language or group of languages

2 a :the study and systematic classification of the sounds made in spoken utterance

b :the practical application of this science to language study

--- The study of the production and perception of speech sounds is a branch of linguistics called
phonetics, studied by phoneticians. The study of how languages treat these sounds is called
phonology
) is a branch of linguistics that comprises the study of the sounds of human speech, or—in the case of
sign languages—the equivalent aspects of sign.[1] It is concerned with the physical properties of speech
sounds or signs (phones): their physiological production, acoustic properties, auditory perception, and
neurophysiological status. Phonology, on the other hand, is concerned with the abstract, grammatical
characterization of systems of sounds or signs.

The field of phonetics is a multilayered subject of linguistics that focuses on speech. In the case of oral
languages there are three basic areas of study: Phonetics – the study of the sounds that form human
language – can be divided into two categories. The first type of phonetics, articulatory phonetics,
examines the speech organs and processes by which humans produce sounds; the focus is on the
speaker of language. The second type of phonetics, acoustic phonetics, focuses on the sound that is
produced when a person speaks; the aim of acoustic phonetics is to understand the acoustic properties
of speech, and how that speech is perceived by the listener’s ears.

Articulatory phonetics: the study of the production of speech sounds by the articulatory and vocal
tract by the speaker. Auditory phonetics is a branch of phonetics concerned with the hearing of speech
sounds and with speech perception.

Articulatory Phonetics

The first type of phonetics, articulatory phonetics, examines the sounds of human language at the
source of their production. It looks at how a person forms his words. Particular parts of the human body,
referred to as “organs of speech,” are used to articulate words. The organs of speech include the voice
box, the lungs, the oral cavity, the nasal cavity, the pharyngeal cavity, the tongue, the teeth, the glottis,
the lips and the inner surfaces of the mouth. The airflow needed to produce sound comes from the
lungs, and is passed through the mouth and or nose, with the glottis, tongue, and teeth being used to
alter the airflow to create different sounds.

Acoustic phonetics: the study of the physical transmission of speech sounds from the speaker to
the listener. Acoustic Phonetics
While articulatory phonetics focuses on the speech organs used to produce the sounds of human
language, acoustic phonetics focuses on the sound properties of human speech. Acoustic phonetics also
looks at audio perception of speech, examining how different sounds are perceived by listeners. In the
study of acoustic phonetics, a phonetician looks at the frequency that a sound produces, the amplitude
spectrum of the sound, and the duration of the sound. These factors are used to describe the sound
acoustically.

Auditory phonetics: the study of the reception and perception of speech sounds by the listener.
These areas are inter-connected through the common mechanism of sound, such as wavelength (pitch),
amplitude, and harmonics