Intro to Ling (Articulatory) Phonetics Articulatory phonetics = the study of how speech sounds are articulated (i.e. made), and what “articulators” (organs) are used to create specific sounds. All speech sounds result from the air from the lungs (허파) coming up the trachea (i.e. the windpipe 숨통) and obstructed (or modified) in the mouth-nose area. There are 3 processes: - the airstream process - When you exhale, the air comes out of the lungs, and this is the source for all sounds in English and Korean. The exhaled air comes up the trachea. - the phonation process - At this step, the air that comes up reaches the larynx (i.e. voicebox 발성기관). In the voice box, there are two bands of muscle (근육) called “the vocal cords or the vocal folds” (성대). These bands can be pulled together or apart. - When they are pulled apart, the air can pass through easily, because there’s a wide space for the air to pass (this space is called “the glottis”). The sounds that come out are called “voiceless” sounds. - When they are pulled together, the air cannot pass through easily, because the opening is very small. So, the air has to squeeze through. This squeezing of the air causes the vocal cords to vibrate (very fast, and repeatedly). The sounds that come out are called “voiced” sounds. - the oral-nasal process - After passing the larynx, the air comes up the pharynx. It can either go through the mouth (i.e. oral cavity), OR through the nose (i.e. nasal cavity). - If the velum/uvula is raised, this will block the air from going into the nasal cavity. You will have oral sounds. In the mouth, there are several organs that can modify the air, such as the teeth, different parts of the tongue, the palate, etc. (see a list of articulators on the PPT file) - But if the velum/uvula is lowered, the air can pass through the nasal cavity, and you’ll have nasal sounds.