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Tema 1

English Phonetics and Phonology Contrastive analysis


PHONOLOGY
Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE Unidad de Educación a Distancia

Index Pág.

1.1. Introduction 3

1.2. Phonology 4

1.3. Phonemics 4

1.4. Phonetics 5

1.5. Allophones 6

Complementary Resources 12
Bibliography 12

Phonology 2
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Introduction
The study of the language started many years ago in India and Korea with
the simple fact of studying and analyzing the grammar of languages. Panini was
a pioneer in studying Sanskrit grammar systematically. King Sejong of Korea was
another booster in Language study. He hoped his people were literate, but it was
too difficult to know the existing (Chinese-based) system. He created by himself
a new brand scientific alphabet based on speech and named this alphabet
‘Hong Minzhong U’, ‘The correct voice educates the people’. His letters were
almost ignored until the 20th century. Now it is widely used in South Korea and
North Korea (Katz, 1991).

Other Linguists such as Sir William Jones in 1786, announced that


Sanskrit and the European languages "have sprung from some common source
which, perhaps, no longer exists" (p.7). He set a trend of learning Sanskrit as the
foundation of the ‘Indo-European language family’ and the foundation of
historical linguistics.

Henry Sweet was a British linguist and phonetician considered as an


authority on Anglo-Saxon and English history. He was a pioneer of modern
scientific phonetics. His ‘History of English Sound’ (1874) is a landmark study.

Bernard Shaw wrote ‘Pygmalion’, a play that contains a phonetician


character, Henry Higgings. Daniel Jones, a professor at University College
London, used the term phoneme in the modern sense and promoted the term
cardinal vowel. He is considered to be the father of IPA, and suggested using a
two-parameter chart to visualize how vowels are produced. Lionel Logue was
another contributor on this field as well as Abbé Rousselot who worked on
experimental phonetics and invented the Rousselot cylinders to record the
speech sounds.

All these contributions made French teachers create the IPA, International
Phonetic Alphabet, a sound representation system that is widely used currently
by linguists, language teachers, book and dictionary makers and so on. That is
the way how this science evolves through time until being known at present as
Linguistics. Therefore, Linguistics is considered as the science that studies the
scientifically the language. Modern Linguistics has classified his field according
to the type of grammar it studies; Thus, Phonology, Morphology, Syntax are
primarily analyzed.

Phonology 3
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Contrastive Phonology

Phonology studies the sound systems, patterns and rules of the language.
Kennedy (2017) considers that “phonology is the study of the organization of
sounds in human languages. It is a subfield of Linguistics concerned with
understanding how languages use certain sounds and combine them to build
meaningful units, essentially, words” (p.1).

Phonology starts with the observation on how the language use the fixed
sound systems, the vowel and consonant inventory, and the sound combination
patterns. The area of interest of phonology is the contextual variability of what are
in some senses the same sound units. However, when two or more languages
are analyzed to find out similarities and differences in their sound inventories,
Contrastive Phonology arises, focusing on Spanish as L1 and English as L2.

Contrastive Phonology is the umbrella term that covers Contrastive


Phonemics and Phonetics.

Contrastive Phonemics

Contrastive Phonemics studies the sound inventories of two or more


languages and it is entirely abstract. Nasr (1977) states that Phonemics is “the
study of the phonological system of a particular language. From this point of view,
phonemics is a relative study” (p.21). Consequently the sounds of a language are
patterned in contrastive units since those sounds named phonemes are
pronounced conscoiusly and establish difference in meaning.

Phonemics deals with how human speech is perceived once it is heard.


This feeling is neurological in nature and develops at a very young age (such as
two years). The speech system has been established in the nervous system.

The unit of Phonemics is the phoneme. Brooks (2015) specifies that “Phonemes
are disctinctive speech sounds; that is, they make a difference to the meanings
of words” (p.1.4). Phonemes are to be used between slant lines and do not use
diacritics. Phonemes are divided into two categories: vowels and consonants.
Examples: <pero> /ˈpeɾo/ <poro> /ˈpoɾo/, <pata> /ˈpata/ <bata> /ˈbata/, <peso>
/ˈpeso/ <beso> /beso/; <man> /mæn/, <men> /mɛn/, <bad> /bæd/, <pad>/pæd/.

Phonology 4
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Contrastive Phonetics
Phonetics studies the sounds of the speech which are totally perceived
and reproduced. Phonetics was considered as an indispensable foundation for
the language study by Henry Sweet whose point of view is as valid today as it
was a hundred years ago.

On the other hand, Lorenz (2013) considers that “Phonetics is interested


in speech sounds as such and their acoustic properties (…) and how the brain
works and what processes are running when we speak and listen to a language”
(p.9) while Knight (2012) considers that “Phonetics is the study of the speech
sounds, the way how humans produce speech, and what speech sounds like
(p.3). If two or more concrete systems are contrasted, Contrastive Phonetics
appears here.

Therefore, the unit of phonetics is the allophone which according to Meyer


(2005) “is a phonetic variant within a given language system”. Consequently, any
variation of a phoneme of the same language is an allophone.

Allophones

Allophones are a variant of a specific phoneme which are to be written


between square brackets and usually keep diacritics. A Diacritic is a mark which
is located over, throughout, or under the phonetic symbol. Examples: [pẽnˈsaɾ],
[ˈaɾ̪te], [pʰʌf], [kʰl̥ eɪ̯ːm], [pʰɔːɫ].

Figure 1 An example of an English Phoneme

Phonology 5
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https://images.app.goo.gl/3UkCJgyHsJid1HQcA

Figure 2 An example of a Spanish allophone

https://images.app.goo.gl/8mrfHVJSuUP4oJyn7

Phonology 6
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Complementary Resources
• Figure 1. An example of an English Phoneme. Source:
https://images.app.goo.gl/3UkCJgyHsJid1HQcA
• Figure 2. An example of a Spanish allophone. Source:
https://images.app.goo.gl/8mrfHVJSuUP4oJyn7

Bibliography
Works Cited

Brooks, G. (2015). Dictionary of British English Spelling System. UK: Open


Book Publisher.

Cleghorn, T. (2011). Comprehensive ARticulatory Phonetics. Second Edition.


Emiratos Árabes Unidos: Lrp center.

Katz, W. (1991). Phonetics and Phonology. Dallas, Texas, USA.

Kennedy, R. (2017). Phonology. A Coursebook. Santa Barbara.: Cambridge


University Press.

Knight, R. (2012). Phonetics. A Coursebook. Cambridge: Cambridge University


Press.

Lorenz, F. (2013). Basics of Phonetics & English Phonology. Berlín: Logos.

Meyer, P. (2005). Syncronich English Linguistic. An Introduction. Germany:


Gunter Nare Verlag.

Nasr, R. (1977). Applied English Phonolgy for ESL/EFL Teachers. Maryland:


University Press of America.

Phonology 7
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Self-assessment

1. Phonology is considered as:

Phonology is the study of the administration of sounds in human languages.


Phonology is the study of the organization of sounds in human languages.
Phonology is the study of the organization of sounds in human beings.

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Self-assessment

2. Which of the following asseverations is correct:

Phonology is a subfield that covers Phonemics and Phonetics.


Phonology is similar to Phonemics and Phonetics.
Phonology is an umbrella term that covers Phonemics and Phonetics.

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3. What is the best conception for Phonemics?

Phonemics studies the words of a language.


Phonemics studies the sounds of a language.
Phonemics studies the sounds of phonems.

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Self-assessment

4. Choose the correct sentence:

The unit of the phonemics is the phoneme.


The unit of the phonemics is the allophoneme.
The unit of the phonemics is phonology.

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Self-assessment

5. What is phonetics?

Phonetics is a branch of the language that studies how humans think and perceive sounds.
Phonetics is the science of linguistics that reviews how humans produce and perceive sounds.
Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that studies how humans produce and perceive sounds.

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Self-assessment

6. Which are the three branches of phonetics?

The three branches of phonetics are: Articulatory phonemes, Auditory phonetics and Acoustic phonetics.
The three branches of phonetics are: Articulatory allophones, Auditory phonologies and Acoustic phonetics.
The three branches of phonetics are: Articulatory phonetics, Auditory phonetics and Acoustic phonetics.

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Self-assessment

7. What is the difference between phonemics and phonetics?

Phonetics is considered the study of the description of sounds produced by the human voice, meanwhile phonemics
deals with the study of sounds of a specific language.

Phonetics is considered the study of the description of consonants produced by the human voice, meanwhile
phonemics deals with the study of description of a specific language.

Phonetics is considered the study of the analysis of vowels produced by the human voice, meanwhile phonemics deals
with the study of sounds of a specific word.

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8. What is a diacritic?

A Diacritic is a point which is located over, through or under the phonetic symbol.
A Diacritic is a hyphen which is located over, through or under the phonetic symbol.
A Diacritic is a mark which is located over, through or under the phonetic symbol.

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9. An allophone is conceptualized as:

An allophone is a phonology variant within a given language system.


An allophone is a phonetic variant within a given articulatory system.
An allophone is a phonetic variant within a given language system.

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10. How are allophones written?

Allophones are to be written between slashes and usually keep diacritics.


Allophones are to be written between square brackets and usually keep diacritics.
Allophones are to be pronounced between square brackets and usually keep diacritics.

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Tema 2

English Phonetics and Phonology Contrastive analysis


The Organs of Speech
Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE Unidad de Educación a Distancia

Index Pág.

1.1. The Organs of Speech 3

1.2. Articulatory Diagram 4

1.3. Cavity 4

1.4. Articulators 5

1.5. Point of Articulation 6

Complementary Resources 12

Bibliography 12

The Organs of Speech 2


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The Organs of Speech

The organs of speech have different functions considering basically eating


and breathing. As human beings developed in time, they realized that some
sounds might be uttered and later produced by articulating some organs. These
organs are classified into movable and non-movable organs which have an
essential function in the sound production. Therefore, the main movable organ is
the tongue as well as the lower lip and lower jaw; the non-movable organs deal
basically with the palate, the upper lip and teeth. The combination of a movable
and a non-movable organ along with the air stream produce specific vowel or
consonant sounds according to the phonetic nature of the language: Spanish or
English.

Figure 1 Organs of Speech

Non-movable organs

Movable organs

Note: Adapted from (Vilhiamas, 2018)

The Organs of Speech 3


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Articulatory Diagram

The articulatory diagram deals with the organs that are part of the speech
production and are related to the cavities, articulators and point of articulation
where sounds are uttered.

The Articulatory Diagram is also known as Facial Diagram that according


to Cleghorn (2011), it “represents a cross section of the human speech
apparatus. (…) The Facial Diagram is a useful tool for visualizing and discussing
the articulation of individual phones” (p.58).

Cavities
Cavities are the zones or chamber where the air flow goes through. They
are mainly the nasal (nose) and oral (mouth) cavities as pictured in figure 1.

Figure 2.- Cavities

Fuente: Cleghorn (2011)

The Organs of Speech 4


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Articulators

The articulators are the movable organs that reach certain point of
articulation to utter a sound. The major English articulators are the lower lip, the
tongue, and the lower jaw.

Figure 3.- Articulators

Fuente: Cleghorn (2011)

The Organs of Speech 5


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Point of Articulation

The point of articulation is the place reached or approached by the


articulator. The major points of English articulation are the upper lip and teeth,
and the palate as pictured in the figure 3.

Figure 4.- Points of Articulation

Fuente: Cleghorn (2011)

The Organs of Speech 6


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Complementary Resources
Figure 1.- The Organs of Speech. Adapted from (Vilhiamas, 2018)
Figure 2. Cavities. Cleghorn (2011).
Figure 3. Articulator. Cleghorn (2011).
Figure 2. Point of Articulation. Cleghorn (2011).
Hadar. (2019, Jun 25). Understand American English Vowels I Pronunciation
Master Class. YouTube. https://youtu.be/4KDkHvvksAE

aBIBLIOGRAPHY
Brooks, G. (2015). Dictionary of British English Spelling System. UK: Open
Book Publisher.

Cleghorn, T. (2011). Comprehensive ARticulatory Phonetics. Second Edition.


Emiratos Árabes Unidos: Lrp center.

Katz, W. (1991). Phonetics and Phonology. Dallas, Texas, USA.

Kennedy, R. (2017). Phonology. A Coursebook. Santa Barbara.: Cambridge


University Press.

Knight, R. (2012). Phonetics. A Coursebook. Cambridge: Cambridge University


Press.

Lorenz, F. (2013). Basics of Phonetics & English Phonology. Berlín: Logos.

Meyer, P. (2005). Syncronich English Linguistic. An Introduction. Germany:


Gunter Nare Verlag.

Nasr, R. (1977). Applied English Phonolgy for ESL/EFL Teachers. Maryland:


University Press of America.

Vilhiamas. (2018). World Language Gazetteer. Obtenido de


https://worldlanguagesgazetteer.wordpress.com/author/vilhiamas/.

The Organs of Speech 7


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The Organs of Speech 8


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The Organs of Speech 9


Theme 2: The Organs of Speech https://evirtual.espe.edu.ec/programas_scorm.cgi?id_curso=21412&id_unidad=240800&id_pkg=80...

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Self-assessment

1. How are the Organs of speech classified?

The Organs of Speech are classified into movable and non-movable organs
The Organs of Speech are classified into eatables and breathable.
The Organs of Speech are classified into movable and eatable.

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Self-assessment

2. How can we produce specific vowel or consonant sounds?

We can produce sounds with the combination of a movable and a non-movable organ along with the nose.

We can produce sounds with the combination of a movable and a non-movable organ along with the air stream.

We can produce sounds with the transformation of a movable and a non-movable organ along with the air stream.

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Self-assessment

3. What does the articulatory diagram deal with?

The articulatory diagram deals with the organs that are part of the sound production.
The articulatory diagram deals with the organs that are part of the speech audition.
The articulatory diagram deals with the organs that are part of the speech production.

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4. Where are the sounds uttered?

The sounds are uttered in the tongue, articulators and point of articulation.
The sounds are uttered in the cavities, articulators and point of articulation.
The sounds are uttered in the mouth.

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Self-assessment

5. What is an articulatory system?

All of the mouth parts that we use to produce speech sounds are called the articulatory sound.
All of the body parts that we use to produce speech sounds are called the articulatory system.
All of the body parts that we use to produce speech sounds are called the articulatory system.

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Self-assessment

6. What is articulatory system in phonetics?

It is called a subfield of phonetics which studies articulation and also the ways that humans produce speech in order to
communicate or express an idea.

It is called a subfield of phoneme which studies articulation and also the ways that humans produce speech in order to
communicate or express an idea.

It is called a subfield of phonetics which studies articulation and also the ways that animals produce speech in order to
communicate or express an idea.

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7. What are the points of articulation?

The point of articulation is the sound reached or approached by the larynx.


The point of articulation is the place reached or approached by the cavity.
The point of articulation is the place reached or approached by the articulator.

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8. Where does the sound production begin?

The sound production begins in the lungs.


The sound production begins in the tongue.
The sound production begins in the mouth.

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9. What are the cavities?

Cavities are the holes or tubes where the air flow goes through.
Cavities are the zones or chamber where the air flow goes through.
Cavities are the points of articulation where the air flow goes through

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10. What are the articulators?

The articulators are the unmovable organs that reach certain point of articulation to utter a sound.
The articulators are the movable sounds that reach certain point of articulation to utter a sound.
The articulators are the movable organs that reach certain point of articulation to utter a sound.

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What is Contrastive Analysis
The word contrastive implies that is it more interested in the differences and similarities
between languages than being interested in languages families and history.

Fisiak (1981) defines CA as "a sub- discipline of linguistics concerned with the comparison
of two or more languages or subsystems of language in order to determine both the
differences and similarities between Them."

In other words, CA is a branch of applied linguistics that is concerned with studying and
finding the similarities and differences between a pair of languages or more based on the
assumption that languages can be compared then applying these findings to the area of
teaching and learning languages.

Robert Lado's formulation of the "Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis" in his “Linguistics across
Cultures” (1957) is considered the greatest contribution in the field of CA studies.

WHAT IS THE NEED FOR CONTRASTIVE LINGUISTICS?


After the World War II, the interest in teaching foreign languages increased in the USA and
many linguists were concerned with the studies that tries to predict the learning difficulties on
the basis of comparing the native language with the foreign language being learnt, and also
the study of bilingualism and language contact phenomena.

It was originally known as Comparative Linguistics then it became known as Contrastive


Linguistics, Contrastive Study, Contrastive Analysis, and Differential Linguistics where all
these terms can be used interchangeably in the same context.

Transfer- Interference- and Cross-linguistic Influence:


The term transfer/interference is dealt with in CA to explain the difficulties learners face in
learning a second language. To avoid any misunderstanding, transfer is used
interchangeably with interference. Transfer refers to the influence of L1 on L2 in both positive
and negative way. Odlin (1989) presents a definition of transfer as " The influence resulting
from the similarities and differences between the target language and any other language
that has been previously acquired."

Both comparative and contrastive linguistics compare and contrast languages. But the
scope, goals, and methods of each are different. Comparative linguistics compares and
contrasts genetically-related languages diachronically (over time), whereas contrastive
linguistics compares and contrasts languages which are culturally related (whether they’re
genetically related or not!). This is because the goals are much different!

Moreover, the goals of comparative linguistics and contrastive linguistics are different.
Comparative linguistics mainly informs the linguistic theory in its diachronic aspects. Though
it may inform the linguistic theory in some way, contrastive linguistics has pedagogical goals
in the field of translation and second language acquisition.

Comparative linguistics looks for commonalities and similarities


Comparative linguistics looks for commonalities and similarities. Contrastive linguistics looks
at divergence and differentiation.We can also say that we need contrastive linguistics
(contrastive analysis - CA for short) for language learning and language teaching as well as
translation. Contrastive Linguistics is then part of Applied Linguistics. Comparative
Linguistics, as they have already said above, is more concerned with comparing languages
especially from a historical perspective.

What is positive and negative transfer?


Positive transfer occurs where a language item in L1 is also present in L2, so acquisition of
this item makes little or no difficulty for the learners.Negative transfer occurs when there is
no concordance between L1 and L2 and thus, acquisition of the new L2 structure would be
more difficult and errors reflecting L1 structure would be produced. (Powell: 1998)(PROVIDE
EXAMPLES FROM ARABIC)

Difference between CL and Comp.L


1. Comparative linguistics makes a synchronic and diachronic comparison between two
languages which are "genetically" similar;2. Contrastive linguistics contrasts the structures of
two languages in order to pick all the relevant differences.
Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE Unidad de Educación a Distancia

English Phonetics and Phonology Contrastive analysis


Alphabet Latin and IPA
Index Pág.

1.1. Alphabets 3
1.2. Latin Alphabet 4
1.3. International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA 4
1.4 Spanish Phonetic Inventory 5
Complementary Resources 6
Bibliography

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Alphabets

The word Alphabet comes from the Greek Words Alpha and Beta.
Alphabets might be classified into Orthographic and Phonetic Alphabets. An
orthographic alphabet is a group of standardized symbols which represent vowel
or consonant letters, while the Phonetic Alphabet is a set of standardized symbols
that represent a specific vowel or consonant sound.

Latin Alphabet

Both Spanish and English use the Latin or Roman Alphabet which might
lightly vary in their orthographic symbols. The modern Latin alphabet is used to
write hundreds of different languages. Each language uses a slightly different set
of letters, and they are pronounced in various ways. Some languages use the
standard 26 letters, some use fewer, and others use more (Ager, 1998).

Table 1 ISO Basic Latin Alphabet

Uppercase Latin alphabet A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Lowercase Latin alphabet a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Note: 26 Upper and lower case

International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA


The International Phonetic Alphabet was launched in the late 19th century
as a standardized system of Phonetic notation that uses one symbol per one
specific sound. The IPA is based on the Roman Alphabet, which has the
advantage of being widely familiar, but also includes letters or additional symbols
from a variety of other sources (Handbook of The International Phonetic
Association. A Guide to the Use of The International Phonetic Alphabet., 1999).
The IPA contains all the symbols used in most of the living languages all over the

Alphabet Latin and IPA 3


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world. Therefore, it means that not all the symbols are used in Spanish nor in
English.

Table 2 The International Phonetic Alphabet (Revised to 2020)

Table 3 American English IPA Chart - Consonants

Alphabet Latin and IPA 4


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In Figure 6, the consonant sounds encountered in American English is being


showed. Cunningham (2019) states that:

The International Phonetic Alphabet, or IPA, is a notation system that


uses symbols to represent the sounds of spoken language. Each symbol
corresponds to a distinct sound, and as long as you know the symbol- to-
sound correspondence, you should be able to pronounce any word you
encounter (p.1)
Table 4 Spanish IPA Chart - Consonants

Figure 3 shows up the consonant inventory of Spanish language. If a contrast between


figure 3 and 4, a clear and noticeable difference are to be found.

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Complementary Resources
• Table 1 ISO Basic Latin Alphabet, Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_basic_Latin_alphabet
• Table 2 The International Phonetic Alphabet (Revised to 2020) Source:
https://www.internationalphoneticassociation.org/IPAcharts/IPA_chart_ori
g/pdfs/IPA_Kiel_2020_full.pdf
• Table 3 American English IPA Chart – Consonants, Source: (IPA, 2020)
• Table 4 Spanish IPA Chart – Consonants, Source: (IPA, 2020)

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ager, S. (1998). Obtenido de Omniglot Encyclopedia:
https://omniglot.com/about.htm#what

Brooks, G. (2015). Dictionary of British English Spelling System. UK: Open


Book Publisher.

Cleghorn, T. (2011). Comprehensive ARticulatory Phonetics. Second Edition.


Emiratos Árabes Unidos: Lrp center.

Handbook of The International Phonetic Association. A Guide to the Use of The


International Phonetic Alphabet. (1999). Cambridge: Cambridege
University Press.

Katz, W. (1991). Phonetics and Phonology. Dallas, Texas, USA.

Kennedy, R. (2017). Phonology. A Coursebook. Santa Barbara.: Cambridge


University Press.

Knight, R. (2012). Phonetics. A Coursebook. Cambridge: Cambridge University


Press.

Lorenz, F. (2013). Basics of Phonetics & English Phonology. Berlín: Logos.

Meyer, P. (2005). Syncronich English Linguistic. An Introduction. Germany:


Gunter Nare Verlag.

Nasr, R. (1977). Applied English Phonolgy for ESL/EFL Teachers. Maryland:


University Press of America.

Vilhiamas. (2018). World Language Gazetteer. Obtenido de


https://worldlanguagesgazetteer.wordpress.com/author/vilhiamas/.

Alphabet Latin and IPA 6


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Self-assessment

1. What is the International Phonetic Alphabet?


It is a system that uses symbols to represent the sounds of spoken languages

2. Where does the word alphabet come from?


The word alphabet comes from the Greek words alpha and beta

3. What does an orthographic alphabet represent?


orthographic alphabet is a group of standardized symbols which represent vowel or consonant
letters

4. what does the phonetic alphabet represent?


the Phonetic Alphabet is a set of standardized symbols that represent a specific vowel or
consonant sound

5. what is the Latin alphabet used to?


The modern Latin alphabet is used to write hundreds of different languages.

6. Do all the languages use the standard 26 letters?


No, some languages use the standard 26 letters, some use fewer and others use more

7. Is the IPA based on the roman alphabet?


Yes, the IPA is based on the Roman alphabet

8. How was the IPA launched?


The International Phonetic Alphabet was launched in the late 19th century as a standardized
system of Phonetic notation that uses one symbol per one specific sound.

9. When was the IPA launched?


It was launched in the 19 century

10. What does the IPA contain?


The IPA contains all the symbols used in most of the living languages all over the
World

Alphabet Latin and IPA 7


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Tema 4

English Phonetics and Phonology Contrastive analysis


Transcription
Index Pág.

1.1. Transcription 3
1.2. Phonetic Transcription 3
1.3. Phonemic Transcription 3
1.4. Transcription Features 4
Symbols used for Transcriptions 4
Bibliography 5

Alphabet Latin and IPA 2


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Transcription

Transcription is a system of notation or writing by means of which a sound from


the spoken language is represented by a specific symbol found out in the English or
Spanish IPA chart. Depending on the fact that phonemes or allophones are used,
transcription differs in certain aspects (Mejía, 2013).

Phonemic Transcription

It is featured because slant lines are used. Consequently, only phonemes are
inserted in-between. There is much to be said for making use of phonemic transcription
as a teaching aid to reinforce analytically the information which the learner may have
received imperfectly by hear. Phonemes are always the same, they have no variations
in symbols (Morris-Wilson, 1984). ie; <cartón> /kaɾˈton/, <tropa> /ˈtɾopa/, <marinar>
/maɾiˈnaɾ/; <apple> /ˈæpəl/, <church> /͡tʃəɹ͡tʃ/, <desire> /dɪˈzajəɹ/, <famous> /ˈfejməs/,
<feature> /ˈfi͡tʃəɹ/

Phonetic Transcription

Phonetic transcription is a process which is more concrete. What is heard or


pronounced is transcribed with every single detail. Thus, square brackets are to be used
and allophones in-between as well as diacritics. Phonemes, here, vary and different or
mostly related symbols are used (Mejía, 2013). ie;<cartón> [kaɾ̪ ˈtɔ̃ŋ], <tropa> [ˈtɾ̥ opa],
<marinar> [maɾiˈnaɾ]; <apple> [ˈæpɫ̩ ], <church> /͡tʃɝ͡tʃ/, <desire> [dɪˈzaɪ̯ ɚ], <famous>[ˈfeɪ̯ ːməs/,
<feature> /ˈfi͡tʃɚ/.

The examples transcribed phonemically and phonetically denote the changes to


be considered when concrete spoken language is transcribed.

Alphabet Latin and IPA 3


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Transcription Features

Transcription process implies to follow specific details to be successful.


Therefore, hereby some didactic tips according to the language:

To transcribe in English is quite important to recognize firstly the stressed syllable


since its vowel sound might phonetically be lengthened or non-lengthened and a
chroneme (ː) might be used. The unstressed syllable usually carries out a short and
reduced vowel sound /ə, ɪ/. Then, the type of transcription must be recognized. If
phonemic, slant lines and phonemes must be used. If phonetic, square brackets,
allophones and diacritics have to be utilized. e.g. <answer> /ˈænsər/ [ˈæːnsɚ].

To transcribe in Spanish means that stressed syllables are not so relevant


because closed syllables must be recognized since within these syllables nasalized or
open vowel might occur. e.g. <mantel> /manˈtel/ [mãnˈtɛl], <carbón> /kaɾˈbon/
[kaɾˈβɔ̃ŋ].

Symbols used for Transcriptions

Symbols are very necessary to make transcriptions in order to stablish the


difference among sounds in a target language, and how they are used at the
moment of speaking specially when the is a variation in a region.

Chroneme (ː) Used to recognize if a vowel is phonetically


lengthened or non-lengthened. [ˈæːnsɚ].
Stress mark ´ To demonstrate the syllable is stressed. ´man
Angle brackets <> They enclosed he spelling < nice >
Slant brackets / / Used for phonemic transcription /kaɾˈbon/
Square brackets [ ] They are used to detail phonetic transcription [kaɾˈβɔ̃ŋ].
Vertical line l Used for demonstrating a pause in phonetic transcription
Division marker . Shows the limits between syllables
Diacritics ã A sign which indicates the variation in the vowel or
consonant quality.

Alphabet Latin and IPA 4


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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ager, S. (1998). Obtenido de Omniglot Encyclopedia:
https://omniglot.com/about.htm#what

Brooks, G. (2015). Dictionary of British English Spelling System. UK: Open


Book Publisher.

Cleghorn, T. (2011). Comprehensive ARticulatory Phonetics. Second Edition.


Emiratos Árabes Unidos: Lrp center.

Handbook of The International Phonetic Association. A Guide to the Use of The


International Phonetic Alphabet. (1999). Cambridge: Cambridege
University Press.

Katz, W. (1991). Phonetics and Phonology. Dallas, Texas, USA.

Kennedy, R. (2017). Phonology. A Coursebook. Santa Barbara.: Cambridge


University Press.

Knight, R. (2012). Phonetics. A Coursebook. Cambridge: Cambridge University


Press.

Lorenz, F. (2013). Basics of Phonetics & English Phonology. Berlín: Logos.

Meyer, P. (2005). Syncronich English Linguistic. An Introduction. Germany:


Gunter Nare Verlag.

Nasr, R. (1977). Applied English Phonolgy for ESL/EFL Teachers. Maryland:


University Press of America.

Vilhiamas. (2018). World Language Gazetteer. Obtenido de


https://worldlanguagesgazetteer.wordpress.com/author/vilhiamas/.

Alphabet Latin and IPA 5


Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE Unidad de Educación a Distancia
Self-assessment

1. How is the transcription represented?

It is represented by a specific symbol found out in the English or Spanish IPA chart.

2. How does description differ in certain aspects?

Transcription differs depending on the fact that phonemes or allophones are used.

3. What does transcription mean?

Transcription is a systematic representation of spoken language in written form

4. What does phonemic transcription use?

Phonemic transcription use slant lines and only phonemes

5. What does phonetic transcription mean?

Phonetic transcription transcribes what is heard or pronounced with every single detail

6. What does phonemic transcription use?

Phonetic transcription use square brackets

7. What must be considered when concrete spoken language is transcribed?

It must be considered the changes transcribed phonemically and phonetically

8. What is very important when transcribing in the English language?

To transcribe in English is quite important to recognize firstly the stressed syllable.

9. What does usually an unstressed syllable carry out?

The unstressed syllable usually carries out a short and reduced vowel sound /ə,ɪ/

10. Why are symbols necessary to make transcriptions?

Symbols are very necessary to make transcriptions in order to stablish the difference

among sounds in a target language

Alphabet Latin and IPA 6


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Tema 5

English Phonetics and Phonology Contrastive analysis


VOWELS

Index Pág.

1.1. Vowels 3-4

Complementary Resources 5
Bibliography 6

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Vowels
Every language has vowels as part of its spoken or printed words. A vowel
is the nucleus of a syllable and it is always voiced because the vocal folds are
adducted and vibrating, besides the vowels use completely the mouth cavity.
American English has ten monophthongs and five diphthongs while Spanish has
five monophthongs and fourteen diphthongs. All of them are primarily defined by
the tongue position; however, some other features are considered such as: area,
muscle tension, and lip shape.

There is an official vowel chart prepared by the International Phonetic


Association, IPA; nevertheless, the great variations of the Spanish and English
languages (dialects) and the scientific studies on them have made to have a kind
of standard Spanish-English Vowel Quadrant (Figure 8). Hereby, a contrast of
IPA and APA vowel chart contrasts.

Figure 1.- IPA Vowel Chart (updated to 2020)

Source: (IPA, 2020)

Due to English language variation because of the geolects and sociolects, the American
Phonetic Association presents the vowel quadrant as Mejía (2013) represents:

Vowels 3
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Figure 2.- English Vowel Quadrant

/ʌ/

Source: (Mejía, 2013)

Hereby, Spanish presents five monophthongs and fourteen diphthongs.

Figure 3 Spanish Vowel Quadrant

Source: (Mejía, 2013)

Vowels 4
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Complementary Resources

• Figure 1.- IPA Vowel Chart (updated to 2020), Source: (IPA, 2020)
• Figure 2.- English Vowel Quadrant, Source: (Mejía, 2013)
• Figure 3 Spanish Vowel Quadrant, Source: (Mejía, 2013)
• Pronunciation Master Class. YouTube. https://youtu.be/9E6F57s-V7U

• Bibliography

Works Cited

Blizzard, J. (2012). Singing American English. second edition. North Carolina:Wingate


University.

Brooks, G. (2015). Dictionary of British English Spelling System. UK: OpenBook


Publisher.

Cleghorn, T. (2011). Comprehensive ARticulatory Phonetics. Second Edition.


Emiratos Árabes Unidos: Lrp center.

IPA. (2020). Journal of the Internatonal Phonetic Association. Cambridge:Cambridge.

Katz, W. (1991). Phonetics and Phonology. Dallas, Texas, USA.

Kennedy, R. (2017). Phonology. A Coursebook. Santa Barbara.: CambridgeUniversity


Press.

Knight, R. (2012). Phonetics. A Coursebook. Cambridge: Cambridge UniversityPress.

Lorenz, F. (2013). Basics of Phonetics & English Phonology. Berlín: Logos. Mejía, P. (2013).

Contrastive Linguistics. A descriptive Linguistics Course for


Spanish-English Teachers. Quito: Classroom.

Meyer, P. (2005). Syncronich English Linguistic. An Introduction. Germany:Gunter Nare


Verlag.

Nasr, R. (1977). Applied English Phonolgy for ESL/EFL Teachers. Maryland:University


Press of America.

Olive, J., Greenwood, A., & Coleman, J. (1993). Acoustics of American EnglishSpeech. USA:
Springer.

Scott, J. (2009). Triphthongs in Spanish. Obtenido de Trusted Translations:


https://translation-blog.trustedtranslations.com/triphthongs-in-spanish-2009-09-
21.html

Vowels 5
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Self-assessment

1. How is the vowel considered?

A vowel is considered as the nucleus of a syllable

2. Are vowels considered voiced or voiceless?

All the vowels are considered voiced

3. Why are the vowels voiced?

Because at the moment of pronouncing the vocal folds are adducted and
vibrating

4. How many monophthongs and diphthongs are there in the English language?

American English has ten monophthongs and five diphthongs

5. How many monophthongs and diphthongs are there in the Spanish language?

Spanish has five monophthongs and fourteen diphthongs

6. What do the English vowels use to be pronounced?

To be pronounced the vowels use completely the moth cavity

7. When describing vowels, what does the area show?

The area shows the front, central and back part of the oral cavity

8. When describing vowels, what does the lip shape show?

The lip shape shows the spread, neutral and rounded position of the lips

9. How do we describe the muscle tension?

The muscle tension describes if the muscles are tense or lax

10. When describing vowels, How do we describe the tongue position?

The tongue position describes if the tongue is high, mid or low placed.

Vowels 6
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Tema 6

English Phonetics and Phonology Contrastive analysis


VOWELS

Index Pág.

1.- Vowels description 3-5

Complementary Resources 6
Bibliography 7

Vowels 2
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Vowel Description
To describe Spanish and English vowels, some aspects are to be taken
into account. These are: Voicing) as previously mentioned, every vowel is voiced;
Vowel Quality) this has to do with Monophthongs and Diphthongs; Tongue
Position) law, mid, high; Area) front, central, back; Muscle tension) tense or lax
in English; however, Spanish vowels are all tense, and Lip Form) spread, neutral,
rounded. The description of monophthongs is detailed in table 2.

A relevant aspect must be considered when denoting to / i / and / u /


English vowel sounds. The point is that these two sounds are longer than the /ɪ/
since they are diphthongized. That is why, the American Phonetic Association,
APA, uses the following notation /ɪy/ and /uw/ while dictionaries use the / i / and
/ u / symbols according to IPA.
Table 1.- English Vowel Description

Tongue
Vowel Area Muscle tension Lip Form
Position
/i/ High Front tense (diphthongized) Spread
/ɪ/ High Front lax Spread
/ɛ/ Mid Front lax Spread
/æ/ Low Front lax Spread
/a/ Low Central lax Neutral
/ə/ Mid Central lax neutral unstressed
/ʌ/ Mid Central lax neutral stressed
/ɔ/ Mid Back lax Rounded
/ʊ/ High Back lax Rounded
/u/ High Back tense (diphthongized) Rounded
Note: Remember that every vowel is voiced and oral.

Source: (Mejía, 2013)

Every English vowel sound, phonetically, has two allophones: the


lengthened and non-lengthened. Lengthened vowel sounds occur when stressed
vowels happen before a voiced consonant while non-lengthened vowels happen
when stressed vowels are behind a voiceless consonant sound. Then, to
demonstrate that a vowel sound is lengthened the diacritic ‘ː ‘must be used; eg,
<manner> /ˈmænəɹ/ [ˈmæːnɚ], <option> /ˈapʃən/ [ˈapʃən]. Allophones are
described in Table 3.

Vowels 3
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Table 2.- English Vowel Allophones

Vowel Lengthened Non-lengthened


Examples
Phoneme Allophone Allophone

/i/ [ iː] [i] [miːn] [pʰis]

/ɪ/ [ɪː] [ɪ] [ˈwɪːmɪn] [sɪts]

/ɛ/ [ɛː] [ɛ] [ˈɹɛːntɚ] [ˈmɛsi]

/æ/ [æː] [æ] [ˈmæːɹvələs] [ˈkʰæsəɫ]

/a/ [aː] [a] [ˈdaːɹlɪŋ] [ˈdaktɚ]

/ə/ ------ [ə] [əˈgɛːn] [hʌtˈ ̄ ]

/ʌ/ [ʌː] [ʌ] [hʌːm] [bɔtˈ ̄ ]

/ɔ/ [ɔː] [ɔ] [mɔːɹ] [kʰɔf ]

/ʊ/ [ʊː] [ʊ] [kʰʊːd] [pʰʊtˈ ̄ ]

/u/ [uː] [u] [suːn] [ʃutˈ ̄ ]

Source: (Mejía, 2013)

As Spanish is mostly a phonetic language, it has just five vowel letters which are
pronounced as they are.

Table 3 Spanish Vowel Discription

Tongue
Vowel Area Muscle tension Lip Form
Position
/i/ High Front Tense spread
/e/ Mid Front Tense spread
/a/ Low Central Tense neutral
/o/ Mid Back Tense rounded
/u/ High Back Tense rounded
Source: (Mejía, 2013)

Spanish vowel sounds, phonetically, has basically two allophones


(unlengthened and nasalized) except /e/ and /o/ which have two extra allophones
(open and open-nasalized). Nasal vowel sounds occur when any Spanish vowel
is between two nasal consonants: e.g. <mañana> [mãˈŋãna], <manantial>
[mãnãnˈtjal]; or when any Spanish vowel sound is part of nasal closed syllable:
e.g. <cantar> [kãn̪ˈtaɾ], <pensar> [pẽnˈsaɾ], <ventana> [bẽnˈtana].

Vowels 4
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Another feature that Spanish vowels assume is that /e/ and /o/ might be
opened, [ɛ] and [ɔ], when they are part of any closed syllable, with the [ɛ]
exception which never opens when the syllable is closed by <d, n, s>; [ɛ] and [ɔ]
become open when they are before or after the trill sound [r] (the first that occurs):
e.g. <herramienta> [ɛraˈmjẽn̪ ta], <marrón> [ marɔ̃ŋ], <errores> [ɛroɾes]; [ɛ] and [ɔ]
become open when they happen exclusively before the voiceless dorso velar [x]:
e.g. <mejoría> [mɛxoˈɾia], <ojal> [ɔxal], and finally, [ɛ] and [ɔ] become open when
they are part of a falling diphthong: e.g.; <reino> [ˈrɛi̯ no], <Eugenia>
[ɛu̯ˈxenja].
Table 4 Spanish Vowel Allophones

Vowel Non- Nasalized Open Open


Phoneme lengthened Allophone Allophone Nasalized Examples
Allophone Allophone

/i/ [i] * * [ˈprima]


[ĩ]
[pĩnsa]

[teˈnas] [ˈtɛɾno] [tɛm


̃ ˈblaɾ]
/e/ [e] [ẽ] [ɛ] [ ɛ̃ ]
[mẽnˈtiɾ]

/a/ [a] * * [ˈmasa]


[ã]
[ˈkãn̪to]

/o/ [o] [ ɔ̃ ] [ˈtoɾo] [mɔɾ̪ ˈtal] [ˈpɔ̃nʲ͡tʃo]


[õ] [ɔ]
[mõno]

/u/ [u] * * [ˈutil]


[ũ]
[ˈpũn̪ to]

Source: (Mejía, 2013)

Complementary Resources
• Table 1.- English Vowel Description, Source: (Mejía, 2013)
• Table 2.- English Vowel Allophones, Source: (Mejía, 2013)
• Table 3 Spanish Vowel Description, Source: (Mejía, 2013)
• Table 4 Spanish Vowel Allophones, Source: (Mejía, 2013)
• Pronunciation Master Class. YouTube. https://youtu.be/9E6F57s-V7U
• Bibliography
Works Cited

Blizzard, J. (2012). Singing American English. second edition. North Carolina:


Wingate University.

Vowels 5
Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE Unidad de Educación a Distancia
Brooks, G. (2015). Dictionary of British English Spelling System. UK: Open
Book Publisher.

Cleghorn, T. (2011). Comprehensive ARticulatory Phonetics. Second Edition.


Emiratos Árabes Unidos: Lrp center.

IPA. (2020). Journal of the Internatonal Phonetic Association. Cambridge:


Cambridge.

Katz, W. (1991). Phonetics and Phonology. Dallas, Texas, USA.

Kennedy, R. (2017). Phonology. A Coursebook. Santa Barbara.: Cambridge


University Press.

Knight, R. (2012). Phonetics. A Coursebook. Cambridge: Cambridge University


Press.

Lorenz, F. (2013). Basics of Phonetics & English Phonology. Berlín: Logos.

Mejía, P. (2013). Contrastive Linguistics. A descriptive Linguistics Course for


Spanish-English Teachers. Quito: Classroom.

Meyer, P. (2005). Syncronich English Linguistic. An Introduction. Germany:


Gunter Nare Verlag.

Nasr, R. (1977). Applied English Phonolgy for ESL/EFL Teachers. Maryland:


University Press of America.

Olive, J., Greenwood, A., & Coleman, J. (1993). Acoustics of American English
Speech. USA: Springer.

Scott, J. (2009). Triphthongs in Spanish. Obtenido de Trusted Translations:


https://translation-blog.trustedtranslations.com/triphthongs-in-spanish-
2009-09-21.html

Vowels 6
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Self-assessment

1. What are the aspects to be taken into account to describe vowels?

The aspects to be taken into account to describe vowels are: tongue


position, area, muscle, tension and lip form

2. When does the lengthened vowel sounds occur?

Lengthened vowel sounds occur when stressedvowels happen before a


voiced consonant

3. When does the non-lengthened vowel sounds occur?

non-lengthened vowels happenwhen stressed vowels are behind a


voiceless consonant sound

4. How are the allophones in English described?

They are described as lengthened and non-lengthened

5. How many allophones do the English vowels have?

Every English vowel sound, phonetically has two allophones

6. What does the vowel quality deal with?

The vowel quality has to do with monophthongs and diphthongs

7. What is the description of the vowel sound /i/?

The description of the vowel /i/ is: high, front, tense (diphthongized)-
spread

8. What is the description of the vowel sound / ɪ/?

The description of the vowel / ɪ/ is: high, front, lax, spread

9. What is the description of the vowel sound / ɛ/?

The description of the vowel / ɛ / is: mid, front, lax, spread

10. What is the description of the vowel sound / æ/?

The description of the vowel / æ / is: low, front, lax, spread

Vowels 7
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English Phonetics and Phonology Contrastive analysis


VOWELS
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Index Pág.

3.1 Diphthongs 3–6

3. 1. 2 Triphthongs 7

Complementary Resources 8
Bibliography 9

Vowels 2
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Diphthongs

A diphthong is a combination of a weak and a strong vowel sound. The weak


vowels represented by the /j/ and /w/ glide symbols. Practically, a diphthong has two
tongue movements and are “often considered to be single phonemes in English” as well
as in Spanish (Olive, Greenwood, & Coleman, 1993).

There are five diphthongs in American English. All of them are voiced and
tense, and have two allophones: the lengthened and non-lengthened.

Figure 1 English Diphthong Construction

Source: (Mejía, 2013)

Table 1.- American English Diphthongs

Vowel Tongue Position- Area Lip Form


/ aw / low-front becoming high-back spread becoming rounded
/ aj / low-front becoming high-front Spread
/ ɔj /
mid-back becoming high-back rounded becoming spread

/ ej / mid-front becoming high-front Spread


/ ɔw / mid-back becoming high-back Rounded
Source: (Mejía, 2013)

Vowels 3
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Table 2.- English Diphthong Allophones

Vowel Lengthened Non-lengthened


Examples
Phoneme Allophone Allophone

/ aw / [ aʊ̯ː ] [ aʊ̯] [bɹaʊ̯ːn] [maʊ̯s]

/ aj / [ aɪ̯ː ] [ aɪ̯ ] [naɪ̯ːn] [laɪ̯t]

/ ɔj / [ ɔɪː ] [ ɔɪ ] [kʰɔɪ̯ːn] [ˈmɔɪ̯stʃɚ]

/ ej / [ eɪ̯ː ] [ eɪ̯ ] [meɪ̯ːn] [leɪ̯t]

/ ɔw / [ ɔʊ̯ː ] [ ɔʊ̯ ] [loʊ̯ːn] [kʰoʊ̯t]

Source: (Mejía, 2013)

Hereby, it is quite important to mention that the glide sounds /j/ and /w/ become
the semivowels [ -ʊ̯] and [ -ɪ̯ ]; therefore, the diacritic ‘ ̯ ‘ is required. Let’s remember that
diphthongs become lengthened when a voiced consonant sound follows it; otherwise,
diphthongs will be unlengthened. Besides, diphthongs must be part of a stressed
syllable.

On the other hand, Spanish diphthongs are fourteen and are classified as Falling
diphthongs (a strong and a weak vowel) and Rising diphthongs (a weak and a strong
vowel). Figure 12.

Figure 5 Spanish Diphthong Construction

Source: (Mejía, 2013)

Vowels 4
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Table 3 Spanish Falling Diphthongs

Vowel Tongue Position- Area Lip Form


/ aj / low-central becoming high-front neutral becoming spread
/ ej / mid-front becoming high-front spread
/ oj /
mid-back becoming high-front rounded becoming spread

/ aw / low-central becoming high-back neutral becoming rounded


/ ew / mid-front becoming high-back spread becoming rounded
/ ow / * mid-back becoming high-back rounded
Note: Spanish diphthongs are voiced and tense. * This Spanish diphthong occurs just as part of a
concatenation process in Connected Speech.

The approximant sounds /j/ and /w/ when happen as part of a falling diphthong
become semivowels and have to use a diacritic.

Table 4 Spanish Rising Diphthongs

Vowel Tongue Position- Area Lip Form


/ ja / high-front becoming low-central spread becoming neutral
/ je / high-front becoming mid-front spread
/ jo /
high-front becoming mid-back spread becoming rounded

/ wa / high-back becoming low-central rounded becoming neutral


/ we / high-back becoming mid-front rounded becoming spread
/ wo / high-back becoming mid-back rounded

The approximant sounds /j/ and /w/ when happen as part of a rising
diphthong become semiconsonants.
Table 5 Weak Spanish Diphthongs

Vowel Tongue Position- Area Lip Form


/ jw / high-front becoming high-back spread becoming rounded
/ wj / high-back becoming high-front Rounded becoming spread

It is remarkable to mention that both Spanish and English use the approximant
sounds /j/ and /w/ to build up diphthongs and triphthongs. When the approximants
happen in a falling diphthong, approximants become semivowels and a diacritic (a
semicircle) must be used under them. Notice the symbols to be used in Spanish as well
as in English. Spanish: [ -i̯ ] [-u̯ ]; English: [-ɪ̯ ] [-ʊ̯ ]. However, when the approximants
happen in a rising diphthong, approximants become semiconsonants and they don’t

Vowels 5
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assume any change in their symbols. Spanish and English use the same
semiconsonants; [ j- ] [ w- ].

Table 6 Spanish Falling Diphthong Allophones

Vowel Phoneme Semivowel Allophone Examples

/ aj / [ai̯ ] [kai̯ ˈma̯n]

/ ej / [ɛi̯ ] [ˈpei̯ ne]

/ oj / [ɔi̯ ] [ˈkɔi̯ ma]

/ aw / [au̯] [kau̯sa]

/ ew / [ɛu̯] [ɛu̯feˈmizmo]

/ ow / * [ɔu̯] [komɔ ‿u̯so]

Note: * The diphthong / ow / occurs just in context within a thought group.

Table 7 Spanish Rising Diphthong Allophones

Vowel Phoneme Semivowel Allophone Examples

/ ja / [ja] [ˈbjaxa]

/ je / [je] [ˈbjene]

/ jo / [jo] [ˈpjoxo]

/ wa / [wa] [ˈkwãn̪do]

/ we / [we] [ˈpweðe]

/ wo / [wo] [ˈkwota]

Note: The approximants /j/ and /w/ are semiconsonants.


Table 8 Weak Spanish Diphthong Allophones

Vowel Phoneme Semivowel Allophone Examples

/ jw / [ju̯] [sju̯ðaˈðano]

/ wj / [wi̯ ] [kwi̯ ˈðaɾ]

Note: These diphthongs include at the same time a semiconsonant as well as a semivowel.

So far, it has been clearly identified Spanish and English diphthongs and
their allophones.

Vowels 6
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Triphthongs

Triphthongs, in American English as well as Spanish, consists of three


successive vowel sounds in the same syllable. It means that the tongue moves
in three different positions. The two triphthongs that occur in the Standard
American English are [aɪ̯ɚ] [aʊ̯ɚ]; eg, <fire> /fajəɹ/ [faɪ̯ɚ], <tire> /tajəɹ/ [tʰaɪ̯ɚ];
<our> /awəɹ/ [aʊ̯ɚ] and <dour> /dawəɹ/ [daʊ̯ɚ]. The tongue movements are seen
in figure 13.
Figure 6.- American English Triphthongs

Source: (Blizzard, 2012)

A triphthong is a sequence of three vowels making up one syllable. Some


examples in Spanish would be: <apreciáis>, <copiéis>, <buey>. For a triphthong
to exist, two weak vowels <i> or <u> and, between them, an open vowel <a>,
<e>, <o> <anunciáis>, <guau>, <miau>, <confiéis> (Scott, 2009). As it is seen,
Hispanic dialect contains more triphthongs. In Latin America, practically there are
few triphthongs as in the common word <buey> /bwej/ [bwei̯ ]. This triphthong is
structured with two weak vowels (approximants) and a strong vowel in the middle
of it.

Vowels 7
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Complementary Resources
• Figure 1 English Diphthong Construction, Source: (Mejía, 2013)
• Figure 2 Spanish Diphthong Construction, Source: (Mejía, 2013)
• Figure 3.- American English Triphthongs, Source: (Blizzard, 2012)

• Table 1.- American English Diphthongs, Source: (Mejía, 2013)


• Table 2.- English Diphthong Allophones, Source: (Mejía, 2013)
• Table 3 Spanish Falling Diphthongs, Source: (Mejía, 2013)
• Table 4 Spanish Rising Diphthongs, Source: (Mejía, 2013)
• Table 5 Weak Spanish Diphthongs, Source: (Mejía, 2013)
• Table 6 Spanish Falling Diphthong Allophones, Source: (Mejía, 2013)
• Table 7 Spanish Rising Diphthong Allophones, Source: (Mejía, 2013)
• Table 8 Weak Spanish Diphthong Allophones, Source: (Mejía, 2013)
• Rachel. (2011, Jul 25). American English Diphthongs. YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XajvB178Hhs

• Bibliography
Works Cited

Blizzard, J. (2012). Singing American English. second edition. North Carolina:


Wingate University.

Brooks, G. (2015). Dictionary of British English Spelling System. UK: Open


Book Publisher.

Cleghorn, T. (2011). Comprehensive ARticulatory Phonetics. Second Edition.


Emiratos Árabes Unidos: Lrp center.

IPA. (2020). Journal of the Internatonal Phonetic Association. Cambridge:


Cambridge.

Vowels 8
Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE Unidad de Educación a Distancia

Katz, W. (1991). Phonetics and Phonology. Dallas, Texas, USA.

Kennedy, R. (2017). Phonology. A Coursebook. Santa Barbara.: Cambridge


University Press.

Knight, R. (2012). Phonetics. A Coursebook. Cambridge: Cambridge University


Press.

Lorenz, F. (2013). Basics of Phonetics & English Phonology. Berlín: Logos.

Mejía, P. (2013). Contrastive Linguistics. A descriptive Linguistics Course for


Spanish-English Teachers. Quito: Classroom.

Meyer, P. (2005). Syncronich English Linguistic. An Introduction. Germany:


Gunter Nare Verlag.

Nasr, R. (1977). Applied English Phonolgy for ESL/EFL Teachers. Maryland:


University Press of America.

Olive, J., Greenwood, A., & Coleman, J. (1993). Acoustics of American English
Speech. USA: Springer.

Scott, J. (2009). Triphthongs in Spanish. Obtenido de Trusted Translations:


https://translation-blog.trustedtranslations.com/triphthongs-in-spanish-
2009-09-21.html

Vowels 9
self-assessment
● What is a diphthong in English?
a diphthong is a combination of a weak and a strong vowel sound
● How are diphthongs in Spanish classified?
Spanish diphthongs are classified as falling diphthongs (a strong and a weak vowel)
and rising diphthongs ( a weak and a strong vowel)
● When do the sounds /j/ and /w/ become semi consonants?
the approximant sounds /j/ and /w/ when happen as part of a rising diphthong
become semiconconants
● What is a triphthong?
a triphthong is a sequence of three vowels making up one syllable
● What do we need for a triphthong to exist in spanish?
for a triphthong to exist, two weak vowels <i> or <u> and between them an open
vowel <a>, <e>, <o>
● What is the description of the vowel sound /aw/?
the description of the vowel /aw/ is: low-front becoming high-back spread becoming
rounded
● What is the description of the vowel sound /aj/?
the description of the vowel /aj/ is: low-front becoming high-front spread
● What is the description of the vowel sound /ɔj/?
the description of the vowel /ɔj/ is:mid-back becoming high-back rounded becoming
spread
● What is the description of the vowel sound /ej/?
the description of the vowel /ej/ is:mid-front becoming high-front spread
● What is the description of the vowel sound /ɔw/?
the description of the vowel /ɔw/ is:mid-back becoming high-back rounded
Program > Unit > Evaluation

Online Learning activity 4

Online Learning activity 4


Total score: 20.00
Score of approval: 14.00
Incorrect answers lower your score: No
Open: since 18/06/2022 22:00 until 18/06/2022 22:30
Achievement

Date: 06/16/2022 10:08:29 PM


Achievement time: 00:17:16 Passed - 19.00
Number of times done: 1
Quantity of right answers: 19 / 20

A diphthong in English is a combination of a...

weak and a long vowel sound

weak and a strong vowels

weak and a strong vowel sound

short and a strong vowel sound

All the diphthongs are...

voiceless

voiced

lengthened

non-lengthened

What is a triphthong?

It is a sequence of three vowels making up one syllable.

It is a sequence of two vowels making up one syllable.


It is a separation of three vowels making up one syllable.

All of the above

What is the description of the diphthong sound /aj/?

mid-back becoming high - back - rounded becoming spread.

low- front becoming high - front - spread.

low - front becoming high - back spread becoming.

low- back becoming high - front - spread.

What is the description of the diphthong sound /ɔj/?

Mid- back becoming high - back - rounded becoming spread.

Low- front becoming high - front - spread.

Low- front becoming high - back - spread becoming.

High- front becoming low - back - spread.

A Diphthong is a combination of...

a weak and a strong vowel sound

two consonants

a consonant and a vowel

three vowels

A Diphthong is often considered as...

a strong phoneme

a single phoneme

a weak phoneme

a double phoneme

The aproximant sounds /j/ and /w/ when happen as part of a falling diphthong
become...
semiconsonants

consonants

semivowels

vowels

The approximant sounds /j/ and /w/ when happen as part of a rising diphthong
become...

consonants

semivowels

vowels

semiconsonants

Which of the following words include this diphthong /ɔɪ/?

Should

Boy

Blood

Which of the following words include this diphthong /ɔu/?

Through

show

Though

Which of the following words include this diphthong /aɪ/?

Said

High

Says

Which of the following words include this triphthong /auə/?

Hour
Player

Mower

Which of the following words include this triphthong /aɪə/?

Fire

Employer

Tired

Which of the following Spanish words include this diphthong /aɪ/?

Veinte

Paisaje

Pleito

Which of the following Spanish words include this diphthong /au/?

Feudo

Traiga

Laura

The correct description for /ow/ diphthong is...

mid-back becoming high-back, rounded

low-front becoming high-back

low-front becoming high-front

The fourteen diphthongs in Spanish are...

falling and rising

weak and stressed

strong and tense


Which of the below Spanish words has a diphthong formed with a "weak + strong"
vowel?

peine

aire

piano

The glide sounds...become semivowels and a diacritic is used under them.

/j/ and /w/

/je/ and /jo/

/j/ and /m/

 
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