Linguistics = the scientific study of human language

sounds form meaning (sense)

phonetics morphology & syntax semantics & pragmatics
&
phonology letters

pdc = the "c" here SVO =

subject, verb, object
is a sound, but not a phone e.g.The tree is
eating tables
vs. eat [_Agent; _FOOD]
cat = the "c" here is a
phone/phoneme

sounds vs. letters = phonetics & phonology aren't interested in all sounds,
but in the phone/phoneme
!!!! Phonemes are NOT letters. Each phoneme has a symbol in the IPA (International
Phonetic Alphabet)

English phonemes = 44

Classification:
1) Consonants : obstruents and sonorants
2) Vowels

Consonants

Def. They are sounds that are produced through the obstruction of the airflow;
In English there are 17 pure consonants which we call obstruents because the
airflow is obstructed to a greater degree, sounds such as /b/, /p/, /c/, /v/ etc.

In contrast to this, there is also a group of consonants called sonorants

which undergo a lesser degree of obstructions (semi-vowels). They share some
features with vowels. These: /m/, /n/, /ŋ/(king), /l/, /r/, /j/(from "yellow"),
/w/(from "wonderful").They are all voiced (just like vowels).

Romanian "r" - we vibrate the tongue

The criteria for classifying consonants:

1) place of articulation (e.g. /b/ and /p/ are bilabial): where in the body
the obstruction of the airflow happens
2) manner
3) voicing (whether the vocal folds are used or not: voiced/voiceless)