Phonetics

Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that studies the sounds of human speech, or—in the case of sign languages—the equivalent aspects of sign. It is concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds or signs (phonemes): their physiological production, acoustic properties, auditory perception, and neurophysiological status. Phonetics can be defined as the science of speech sounds and the symbols by which they are represented in writing and printing. This description of speech sounds is independent of any specific language.

History

The study of phonetics dates back to the ancient civilizations of India and Greece. The Sanskrit grammarians of India were the first to make a comprehensive analysis of phonetics in the 5th century BC. The Greeks, particularly Aristotle and Plato, also made significant contributions to the study of phonetics.

Branches of Phonetics

Phonetics is divided into three main branches:

• Articulatory phonetics: the study of the physical production of speech sounds by the human vocal apparatus.
• Acoustic phonetics: the study of the physical properties of speech sounds as they travel through the air.
• Auditory phonetics: the study of the way people perceive speech sounds.

Phonetics in Linguistics

In linguistics, phonetics is a fundamental discipline, along with phonology, syntax, morphology, and semantics. While phonetics concerns the physical production, acoustic transmission and perception of the sounds of speech, phonology describes the way sounds function in particular languages or languages generally.

See Also

• Phonology
• Speech
• Linguistics
• Acoustic phonetics
• Articulatory phonetics
• Auditory phonetics

References

Phonetics Resources
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