1.3.Phonetics as a science.

Phonetics studies segmental sounds (vowels and consonants) and prosodic, suprasegmental, phenomenon (pitch, stress, tempo, rhythm, pauses). It also studies acoustic properties of sagmental sounds and suprasegmental phenomenon , physiological bases of sound production and the meaning of segmental and suprasegmental phenomena.

1.4.Phonetics and phonology.

Phonetics studies the process of articulation and perception, phonology studies the functioning of segmental and suprasegmental phenomena –their meaning, that is how different types of sounds help us to differentiate the meaning of words. Ex. Pin (i)- pen (e). and how different intonation patterns express different meanings. Ex. He is a student (falling tone)- is a statement; He is a student ? (raising tone) –a question.

2. Articulatory and acoustic analysis of english speech sounds.

2.1. Principles of classification of speech sounds.

There are two types of speech sounds- vowels and consonants. Vowels are speech sounds based on voice. There is no obstruction in their articulation. The muscular tension is spread evenly throughout the speech organs. The stream of air is weak. Consonants are speech sounds that require obstruction in their articulation. The obstruction is removed with the effect of noise. There are 2 kinds of noise plosion and friction. The stream of air is strong. There\their exist speech sounds that occupy an intermediate position between vowels and consonants- sonants (sonorants) \m,n,nь,j,l,w,r\. There is an obstruction in their articulation like with consonants. Like vowels they are based on voice. Within this group \w,j,r\ have stronger vocalic characteristics. That’s why they are called Sammy vowels. \n,l\ have greater sonority and unlike in Ukrainian they perform as syllable.

Ex. Garden \ga:dn\, little \li_tl\, seven \se_vn\.

Consonants are subdivided into noise consonants and sonants.

2.2.The articulatory classification of english speech sounds.

a)vowels are classified according to the following principles:

-according to the horizontal movement of the tongue;

-according to the vertical movement of the tongue;

-according to the position of lips, vowels are rounded \o\ or \o:\, \u\ or \u:\. The rest of the vowels are unrounded;

-according to the degree of muscular tension. Vowels are tense (long vowels) and lax (послаблені) (short vowels);

-according to the force of articulation at the end of the vowel . Vowels are free and checked\chepted (усічені). Free vowels are pronounced in an open syllable. The force of articulation at the end is weak, they have a fading( ЗАТИХАЮЧИЙ) character. Long monophthongs and diftongs and unstressed short vowels. Checked vowels have no weakening of articulation at their end. They are followed by a consonant and they end abruptly. They are short vowels under stress;

-according to the stability of articulation vowels are classified into monophtongs and diphthongs. Monophthongs are simple vowels. Ex. \a:\, \ee!\, \o\.

Diphthongs are complex vowels, they consist of 2 elements, a diphthong is a single vowel, it’s not two vowels pronounced together. Diphthongs are classified according to their second element:

-first group of diphthongs has the glide- 29second element)

\ei\day, say, cake

\ai\my, pie, guy

\oi\boy, toy

-second group of diphthongs has glide \e догори ногами\

\ie\here, near, ear

\ue\poor, sure, pure

-third group have the glide \u\

\au\cloud, how

\ou\go, no, show

The second element is called the glide because tongue changes, it’s position in the mouth cavity and glides (плавно переміщується) from position of the first element which is called the nucleus of the diphthongs to the second element.

-vowels can be classified according to their duration. English vowels may be long \a:, o:, u:, e догори ногами:\ or short.

b)consonants are based on noise. The source of noise is obstruction. There are 2 types of obstruction.:

-complete closure which is also called occlusion;

-narrowing which is also called constriction.

There is a combination of occlusion and constriction, that is closure is followed by a small opening.

The principles of classification of the consonants are:

-according to the type of obstruction and the manner of production of noise;

-according to the active organ of speech;

-according to the place of obstruction consonants are: dental, alveolar \l,t,s\, post alveolar \j\, palate-alveolar \s(th),z,ts(th),dz\, labial \m,p,b\, labial-dental \f,v\, velar \nь\;

-according to the present or absent\absence of voice consonants are: voiced \w\, voiceless \f,v,k,t\;

-according to the force of articulation,they are lengths and forties. With lenis consonants the articulation is weak\leak, they are voiced consonants with forties consonants the articulation is strong, they are voiceless consonants. Strong or weak articulation means the degree of muscular tension;

-according to the position of the soft palate consonants are nasal \m,n,nь\ and oral. The pronouncing m,n,nь the soft palate is lavered, the back of the tongue is raised and touches the soft palate. Thus the passage throw the mouth cavity is blocked and the air comes through the nasal cavity.