The Sounds of Language
An Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology
LAWZ - Linguistics in the World
2. Edition March 2024
640 Pages, Softcover
Textbook
The fully updated, new edition of the bestselling introduction to phonetics and phonology
The Sounds of Language presents a comprehensive introduction to both the physical and cognitive aspects of speech sounds. Assuming no prior knowledge of phonetics or phonology, this student-friendly textbook clearly explains fundamental concepts and theories, describes key phonetic and phonological phenomena, explores the history and intersection of the two fields, offers practical advice on collecting and reading data, and more.
Twenty-four concise chapters, written in non-technical language, are organized into six sections that each focus on a particular sub-discipline: Articulatory Phonetics, Acoustic Phonetics, Segmental Phonology, Suprasegmental Phonology, the Phonology/Morphology Interface, and Variation and Change. The book's flexible modular approach allows instructors to easily choose, re-order, combine, or skip sections to meet the needs of one- and two-semester courses of varying levels. Now in its second edition, The Sounds of Language contains updated references, new problem sets, new examples, and links to new online material. The new edition features new chapters on Lexical Phonology; Word Structure and Sound Structure; and Variation, Probability, and Phonological Theory. Chapters on Sociolinguistic Variation, Child Language Acquisition, and Adult Language Learning have also been extensively updated and revised.
Offering uniquely broad and balanced coverage of the theory and practice of two major branches of linguistics, The Sounds of Language:
* Covers a wide range of topics in phonetics and phonology, from the anatomy of the vocal tract to the cognitive processes behind the comprehension of speech sounds
* Features critical reviews of different approaches that have been used to address phonetics and phonology problems
* Integrates data on sociolinguistic variation, first language acquisition, and second language learning
* Surveys key phonological theories, common phonological processes, and computational techniques for speech analysis
* Contains numerous exercises and progressively challenging problem sets that allow students to practice data analysis and hypothesis testing
* Includes access to a companion website with additional exercises, sound files, and other supporting resources
The Sounds of Language: An Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology, Second Edition, remains the ideal textbook for undergraduate and beginning graduate classes on phonology and phonetics, as well as related courses in linguistics, applied linguistics, speech science, language acquisition, and cognitive science programs.
Preface to the Second Edition xviii
About the Companion Website xx
Part I Articulation 1
1 The Vocal Tract 3
1.1 Seeing the Vocal Tract: Tools for Speech Research 4
1.2 The Parts of the Vocal Tract 7
Chapter Summary 13
Further Reading 13
Review Exercises 14
Further Analysis and Discussion 15
Further Research 15
Go online 15
References 15
2 Basics of Articulation: Manner and Place in English 16
2.1 The Dance of the Articulators 17
2.2 Phonetic Transcription 18
Chapter Summary 30
Further Reading 31
Review Exercises 31
Further Research 34
Go online 34
3 A Tour of the Consonants 35
3.1 "Exotic" Sounds and the Phonetic Environment 36
3.2 Pulmonic Consonants 39
3.3 Non-Pulmonic Consonants 47
3.4 Positional Variation in English 50
Chapter Summary 53
Further Reading 54
Review Exercises 54
Further Analysis and Discussion 55
Go online 56
References 56
4 A Map of the Vowels 58
4.1 The Landscape 59
4.2 Cardinal Vowels 60
4.3 Building Inventories: Dimensions of Vowel Quality 62
4.4 Nasality and Voice Quality 69
4.5 Length and Diphthongs 70
4.6 Tone 71
4.7 Positional Variants of the Vowels of English 73
Chapter Summary 74
Further Reading 74
Review Exercises 74
Further Analysis and Discussion 76
Further Research 77
References 77
5 Anatomy, Physiology, and Gestural Coordination 78
5.1 Anatomy and Physiology of Respiration 79
5.2 Anatomy and Physiology of the Larynx 81
5.3 Anatomy of the Tongue and Supralaryngeal Vocal Tract 87
5.4 Gestural Coordination 91
5.5 Palatography 93
Chapter Summary 95
Further Reading 96
Review Exercises 96
Further Analysis and Discussion 98
Further Research 99
Go online 99
Part II Acoustics and Perception 101
6 The Physics of Sound: Pendulums, Pebbles, and Waves 103
6.1 What Is Sound? 104
6.2 Simple Harmonic Motion: A Pendulum and a Tuning Fork 106
6.3 Adding Sinusoids: Complex Waves 109
6.4 Sound Propagation 112
6.5 Decibels 114
6.6 Resonance 115
6.7 The Vocal Tract as a Sound-producing Device: Source-Filter Theory 118
Chapter Summary 120
Further Reading 120
Review Exercises 120
Go online 121
7 Looking at Speech Waveforms, Spectra, and Spectrograms 122
7.1 Pre-Digital Speech Analysis 123
7.2 Digitization 125
7.3 Looking at Waveforms 132
7.4 Spectra 134
7.5 Spectrograms 139
Chapter Summary 145
Further Reading 145
Review Exercises 145
Further Analysis and Discussion 146
Further Research 149
Go online 150
References 150
8 Speech Analysis: Under the Hood 151
8.1 Building Sounds Up 152
8.2 Breaking Sounds Down 162
Chapter Summary 171
Further Reading 172
Review Exercises 172
Further Analysis and Discussion 172
Further Research 173
Go online 173
References 173
9 Hearing and Speech Perception 174
9.1 Anatomy and Physiology of the Ear 175
9.2 Neuro-anatomy 181
9.3 Speech Perception 186
Chapter Summary 194
Further Reading 194
Review Exercises 195
Further Analysis and Discussion 196
Go online 196
References 197
Part III Segmental Phonology 199
10 Phonology 1: Abstraction, Contrast, Predictability 201
10.1 The Necessity of Abstraction 202
10.2 Contrast and Predictability: Phonemes and Allophones 206
10.3 Some Complicating Factors 213
10.4 Structuralism, Behaviorism, and the Decline of Phonemic Analysis 217
Chapter Summary 218
Further Reading 219
Review Exercises 219
Further Analysis and Discussion 220
Further Research 222
Go online 223
References 223
11 Phonotactics and Alternations 224
11.1 Phonotactic Constraints 225
11.2 Analyzing Alternations 228
11.3 Alternations: What to Expect 235
Chapter Summary 248
Further Reading 249
Review Exercises 249
Further Analysis and Discussion 251
Go online 253
References 253
12 What Is a Possible Language? Distinctive Features 254
12.1 Introduction 255
12.2 Distinctive Features 258
12.3 How have our Hypotheses Fared? 270
Chapter Summary 272
Further Reading 272
Review Exercises 272
Further Analysis and Discussion 273
Further Research 275
Go online 275
References 275
13 Rules and Derivations in Generative Grammar 276
13.1 Generative Grammars 277
13.2 Underlying Representations 278
13.3 Writing Rules 280
13.4 Autosegmental Representations and Feature Geometry 289
13.5 How Have Our Hypotheses Fared? 303
Chapter Summary 303
Further Reading 304
Review Exercises 304
Further Analysis and Discussion 305
Further Research 310
Go online 310
14 Constraint-based Phonology 311
14.1 Constraints and Rules in Linguistic Theory 312
14.2 The Basics of Optimality Theory 315
14.4 Challenges and Directions for Further Research 328
Chapter Summary 330
Further Reading 331
Review Exercises 331
Go online 336
References 336
Part IV Suprasegmental Phonology 337
15 Syllables and Prosodic Domains 339
15.1 Syllables 340
15.2 The Prosodic Hierarchy 350
Chapter Summary 356
Further Reading 357
Review Exercises 357
16 Stress 363
16.1 What is Linguistic Stress? 364
16.2 Cross-Linguistic Typology 366
16.3 A Feature for Stress? 369
16.4 Metrical Structure 370
16.5 Stress in English 375
Chapter Summary 380
Further Reading 380
Review Exercises 380
Further Analysis and Discussion 382
Further Research 384
Go online 384
References 384
17 Tone and Intonation 385
17.1 Tone 386
17.2 Intonation 402
Chapter Summary 407
Further Reading 408
Review Exercises 408
Further Analysis and Discussion 409
Further Research 411
Go online 411
References 411
Part V Phonology and Morphology 413
18 Word Structure and Sound Structure 415
18.1 Basics of Morphology: Some Definitions and Examples 416
18.2 Phonologically Sensitive Morphology 424
18.3 What Is in the Lexicon? 432
Chapter Summary 433
Recommended Readings 434
Review Exercises 435
Further Analysis and Discussion 435
Further Research 440
Reference 441
19 Lexical Phonology 442
19.1 Lexical and Post-Lexical Phonology 443
19.2 Properties of Lexical Phonology 444
19.3 Theoretical Approaches to the Phonology/Morphology Interface 455
19.4 Summary and Directions for Future Research 463
Chapter Summary 464
Recommended Readings 465
Review Exercises 465
Further Analysis and Discussion 466
Further Research 468
References 469
Part VI Variation And Change 471
20 Diachronic Change 473
20.1 Languages Change 474
20.2 Historical Reconstruction 479
20.3 History of English 486
Chapter Summary 493
Further Reading 494
Review Exercises 494
Further Analysis and Discussion 495
Further Research 498
Go online 498
References 498
21 Sociolinguistic Variation 500
21.1 Variation by Place 502
21.2 Other Sources of Variation 511
Chapter Summary 515
Recommended Reading 516
On Regional Dialects 516
On Other Sources of Variation 516
Review Exercises 516
Further Analysis and Discussion 517
Further Research 518
Go online 518
References 518
22 Variation, Probability, and Phonological Theory 520
22.1 Variation Is Ubiquitous 521
22.2 Variable Rules 525
22.3 Constraint-based Approaches to Phonological Variation 527
22.4 Summary and Directions for Future Research 541
Chapter Summary 542
Suggested Reading 542
Review Exercises 542
Further Analysis and Discussion 543
Further Research 546
References 547
23 Child Language Acquisition 548
23.1 Language Acquisition and Language Learning 549
23.2 Research Tools 549
23.3 Perception in the First Year 551
23.4 Child Language Production 556
23.5 Language Acquisition and Linguistic Theory 560
Chapter Summary 564
Further Reading 564
Review Exercises 565
Further Analysis and Discussion 566
Further Research 567
Go online 567
References 567
24 Adult Language Learning 568
24.1 The Contexts of Adult Language Learning 569
24.2 Research Tools 571
24.3 L2 Perception 573
24.4 L2 Production 576
24.5 L2 Grammar Learning 578
24.6 Acquisition, Learning, and Linguistic Theory 582
Chapter Summary 583
Further Reading 584
Review Exercises 584
Further Analysis and Discussion 585
Further Research 586
Go online 586
References 587
Sources of Language Data 588
Index 598
