THE SOUNDS OF LANGUAGE

Humans have the ability to produce a wide range of sounds with great speed.
Only certain sounds are selected on a regular basis as significant for communicative activity.

Comparison between English and Vietnamese

There is no significant difference between English and Vietnamese in terms of the ability to produce a wide range of sounds. Both languages use the same vocal tract and interlacing muscles to produce sounds.
However, there is a difference in the way certain sounds are used in each language. For example, English uses a distinct sound /th/ which is not found in Vietnamese, while Vietnamese uses a distinct sound /ng/ which is not found in English. Additionally, the frequency and distribution of certain sounds may differ between languages.
Overall, while both languages share similarities in terms of producing sounds, there are differences in the way these sounds are used and combined to form words and sentences.

PHONETICS

Phonetics: the study of the characteristics of speech sounds.

Articulatory phonetics: the study of how speech sounds are made or articulated.

Acoustic phonetics: the study of the physical properties of speech sounds as sound waves in the air.

Auditory phonetics (or perceptual phonetics): the study of how speech sounds are perceived through the ear.

Examples

English: The word "cat" has three distinct sounds: /c/, /a/, and /t/. The IPA symbol for /c/ is [k].

Vietnamese: The word "mẹ" has three distinct sounds: /m/, /e/, and /. The IPA symbol for /m/ is [m].

Comparison between English and Vietnamese

Both languages use similar phonetic symbols to represent speech sounds, such as [p], [t], and [k].
However, Vietnamese has a more complex set of consonant clusters and vowel combinations that may require additional IPA symbols to represent accurately.
The study of phonetics is important for both languages, as it helps to understand the sound systems and pronunciation patterns of each language

CONSONANTS

There are three features in the production of consonants:

The voiced/voiceless distinction.
The place of articulation.
The manner of articulation.

Examples

English: The word "pat" starts with a voiced consonant /p/, which is produced by blocking airflow with the lips.

Vietnamese: The word "mẹ" starts with a voiceless consonant /m/, which is produced by blocking airflow with the lips.

Comparison between English and Vietnamese

Both languages use the voiced/voiceless distinction and place of articulation to describe consonants.
However, the manner of articulation may differ between languages. For example, Vietnamese uses aspirated stops (/t̪ʰ/) while English does not.
Additionally, the place of articulation may differ between languages. For example, Vietnamese uses palatal consonants (/c/) while English does not.

Consonants letters/spelling vs Consonants sounds:

Thin and This ( /θ/ and /ð/) - Same letters/spelling but different sounds
Fan and Phone (/f/ and /f/) - Same sounds but different letters/spelling

VOICED AND VOICELESS SOUNDS

Vocal cords (or vocal folds): two bands of muscle tissue inside the larynx that vibrate to produce sound.

Voiceless sounds: consonants produced when the vocal cords are apart, allowing air to pass through without obstruction.

Voiced sounds: consonants produced when the vocal cords are together, causing them to vibrate and obstruct airflow.

Examples

English: The word "zip" starts with a voiced consonant /z/, which is produced by vibrating the vocal cords.

Vietnamese: The word "mẹ" starts with a voiceless consonant /m/, which is produced by blocking airflow with the lips.

Comparison English and Vietnamese

In Vietnamese, the distinction between voiceless and voiced sounds is also important in determining the pronunciation of consonant sounds. For example, the consonant "t" is pronounced differently depending on whether it's voiceless (t) or voiced (d).
In Vietnamese, the use of voiceless and voiced sounds can affect the meaning of words. For example, the word "tay" can mean "hand" when pronounced with a voiceless "t", but "day" when pronounced with a voiced "d".
While both English and Vietnamese have voiceless and voiced sounds, the pronunciation and usage of these sounds differ between the two languages. For example, in English, the voiceless sound "s" is often pronounced with a slight hissing quality, whereas in Vietnamese, it's pronounced more flatly.

PLACE OF ARTICULATION

Vocal tract: the passage through which air passes after leaving the larynx.

Pharynx: a tube-shaped structure that connects the larynx to the mouth and nose.

Oral tract: the passage through which air passes through the mouth.

Nasal tract: the passage through which air passes through the nose.

Place of articulation: the location inside the mouth where a consonant sound is produced.

Examples

English: The word "pet" starts with a consonant sound /p/ produced by constricting the air flow between the lips.

Vietnamese: The word "căn" starts with a consonant sound /k/ produced by constricting the air flow between the teeth and tongue.

Comparison between English and Vietnamese

Both English and Vietnamese have a similar anatomy for speech production, including the vocal tract, pharynx, oral tract, and nasal tract.
Both languages use constricting shapes in the oral tract to produce consonant sounds.
However, Vietnamese has a greater number of tonal consonants, which are not found in English.

FAMILIAR SYMBOLS

Bilabial consonants: consonants made with both lips, such as [p], [b], [m], and [w].

Labiodental consonants: consonants formed using the upper front teeth and the lower lip, such as [f] and [v].

Alveolar consonants: consonants made with the tongue raised to the alveolar ridge, such as [t], [d], [s], [z], [r], [l], and [n].

Examples

English: The word "pop" starts with a voiceless bilabial consonant /p/, while the word "Bob" starts with a voiced bilabial consonant /b/.

Vietnamese: The word "mẹ" starts with a voiced alveolar consonant /m/, while the word "tất" starts with a voiceless alveolar consonant /t/.

Comparison between English and Vietnamese

Bilabial consonants: English has distinct voiced and voiceless bilabial consonants, while Vietnamese does not have a direct equivalent.
Labiodentals: English has distinct voiceless and voiced labiodentals, while Vietnamese does not have a direct equivalent.
Alveolar consonants: English has a range of alveolar consonants, including voiceless and voiced sounds, while Vietnamese has similar sounds but not as many distinct variations.

UNFAMILIAR SYMBOLS

Dentals: consonants produced by using the teeth, such as [θ] and [ð].

Interdentals: consonants produced by placing the tongue tip between the teeth.

Palatals: consonants produced by using the palate (the roof of the mouth), such as [ʃ], [ʧ], [ʒ], [ʤ], and [j].

Velars: consonants produced by using the velum (the soft palate), such as [k], [ɡ], and [ŋ].

Voiceless glottal: a consonant sound produced without the active use of the tongue, represented by [h].

Examples

English: The word "thin" starts with a voiceless dental consonant /θ/.

Vietnamese: The word "mẹ" starts with a voiceless dental consonant /m/.

Comparison between English and Vietnamese

English has a distinct "th" sound, whereas Vietnamese does not have a separate "th" sound but uses "t" and "đ" instead.
English has palatal consonants like [ʃ], [ʧ], [ʒ], [ʤ] that do not have direct equivalents in Vietnamese, but can be approximated using sounds like "x" and "ch".
English has velar consonants like [k], [ɡ], [ŋ] that are similar to those in Vietnamese, with examples like "c", "k", and "ng".

MANNER OF ARTICULARTICULATION

Manner of articulation: the way a consonant is produced, such as by blocking airflow or by using the tongue.

Examples

English: The word "tap" starts with a stop consonant /t/, which is produced by blocking airflow with the tongue.

Vietnamese: The word "sắt" starts with a voiceless alveolar fricative /s/, which is produced by partially blocking airflow with the tongue.

Comparison between English and Vietnamese

In English, [t] and [s] are distinct sounds with different manners of articulation (stop and fricative respectively). In Vietnamese, [t] may not exist as a distinct sound, and [s] may be pronounced differently depending on the region.
The terminology used in English and Vietnamese may differ, with English using terms like "plosive" and "approximant" while Vietnamese may not have specific terms for these concepts.

A CONSONANT CHART

GLOTTAL STOPS AND FLAPS

Glottal stop: a brief closure of the space between the vocal folds (the glottis), represented by [ʔ].

Harry Potter -> remove /h/ and /tt/

Flap: a brief tapping of the tongue tip on the alveolar ridge, represented by [ɾ].

latter/ladder: same sound

Examples

English: The word "Uh-uh" may include a glottal stop, where the space between the vocal folds is closed briefly.

Vietnamese: The word "bánh" may include a flap, where the tongue tip taps the alveolar ridge briefly.

Comparison between English and Vietnamese

In Vietnamese, there is no equivalent sound to the English glottal stop [ʔ]. However, Vietnamese has its own unique sounds and letter combinations that are not found in English.
In Vietnamese, there is no flap sound [ɾ], but Vietnamese has its own unique sounds and letter combinations that are not found in English.
Vietnamese pronunciation is generally considered to be more phonetically distinct than English, with a greater emphasis on individual sounds and syllables.

VOWELS

Vowel sounds: speech sounds produced with a relatively free flow of air, typically voiced.

Front/back: refers to the position of the tongue in the mouth, with front vowels being made with the tongue in a raised position and back vowels being made with the tongue in a lower position.

High/low: refers to the height of the tongue in the mouth, with high vowels being made with the tongue raised and low vowels being made with the tongue lowered.

Examples

English: The word "heat" starts with a "high, front" vowel sound, while the word "hat" starts with a "low, back" vowel sound.

Vietnamese: The word "ở" starts with a high, front vowel sound, while the word "xu" starts with a low, back vowel sound.

Comparison between English and Vietnamese

Both English and Vietnamese have vowel sounds that are produced with a free flow of air, but may differ in place of articulation.
Vietnamese has a distinct set of vowel sounds that are not found in English, such as the "ô" sound (like "hot" in English).
The classification of vowel sounds based on their place of articulation may be similar in both languages, but may differ in specific details.

Vowel letters/spelling vs vowel sounds:

Busy and Rude (/I/ and /u:/) - same letters/spelling different sounds
Tie and High ( /ai/ and /ai/) - same sounds different letters/spelling

DIPTHONGS

Diphthong: a combination of two vowel sounds produced by the movement of the vocal organs.

Vocalic position: a specific position of the vocal organs in the mouth and throat that produces a particular vowel sound.

Glide: a type of sound that is produced by moving from one vocalic position to another, often used in conjunction with diphthongs.

Examples

English: The word "hi" starts with a diphthong [aɪ], which is produced by moving from a low front position to a high front position.

Vietnamese: The word "chai" (tea) starts with a diphthong [aɪ], which is similar to the English pronunciation.

AMERICAN AND BRITISH DIPTHONGS

The pronunciation in Southern British English is slightly different from that of North American English, with the former often omitting the [r] sound.

Examples

English: The word "door" ends with the [r] sound /r/ in North American English, but often omits it in Southern British English (e.g., "doa").

Vietnamese: The word "một" (one) has a similar pronunciation to the word "door" in North American English, but does not have the [r] sound.

Comparison between English and Vietnamese

While there is no direct comparison between English and Vietnamese on this topic, it is worth noting that Vietnamese has a similar concept of diphthongs, known as "nghê" or " ngưỡi", which are formed by combining two vowels. However, the specific sounds and pronunciation of diphthongs in Vietnamese may differ from those in English.

SUBTLE INDIVIDUAL VARIATION

Different accents may cause vowel sounds to vary, making certain words sound similar. However, one may find oneself instinctively be able to discern these differences, a process that involves phonology, or the general sound patterns of a language.

Examples

English: The word "cat" has a vowel sound /æ/, which is pronounced with a raised tongue position and a relatively open jaw.

Vietnamese: The word "mẹ" has a vowel sound /ɛ/, which is pronounced with a slightly lower tongue position and a more closed jaw than the English /æ/

Comparison between English and Vietnamese

Vietnamese has a simpler vowel system than English, with fewer vowel sounds to learn.
Vietnamese speakers may not have the same level of distinction between different vowel sounds as English speakers.
However, Vietnamese has its own unique phonology and sound patterns, which are distinct from those of English.

For example:

"a" in sofa: /ˈsoʊfə/

''e" in silent: /ˈsaɪlənt/

"i" in president: /ˈprɛzɪdənt/

"o" in condition: /kənˈdɪʃən/

"u" in circus: /ˈsɜrkəs/

"y" in mystery: /ˈmɪstəri/

STUDY QUESTIONS

1 What different aspects of language are studied in articulatory phonetics, acoustic phonetics

and auditory phonetics?

Acoustic phonetics is the study of the physical properties of speech as sound

waves in the air and articulatory phonetics is the study of the physical production,

via the vocal organs, of speech sounds.

2 What do we call the space between the vocal folds?

The space between the vocal folds is called the glottis.

3 How many fricatives are there in the pronunciation of mechanic?

There are 3 fricatives in the pronunciation of "mechanic": /m/, /k/, and /n/.

4 How do we describe the vowel in the normal pronunciation of hot?

The vowel in the normal pronunciation of "hot" is /ɒ/.

5 In casual speech what is the most common vowel sound?

In casual speech, the most common vowel sound is /ə/ (schwa).

6 Which of the following words normally end with voiceless (–V) sounds and which end with

voiced sounds (+V) sounds?

(a) bash __+V__ (d) fizz__-V__ (g) splat __-V__

(b) clang __-V__ (e) rap__+V__ (h) thud __+V__

7 Try to pronounce the initial sounds of the following words and identify the place of

articulation of each one (e.g. bilabial, alveolar, etc.).

(a) calf _____velar_____ (e) hand ____glottal______ (i) shoulder _____palatal_____

(b) chin _____palatal_____ (f) knee ____alveolar______ (j) stomach ______alveolar____

(d) groin ______velar____ (h) pelvis _____bilabial_____ (l) toe _____alveolar_____

8 Identify the manner of articulation of the initial sounds in the following words (stop, fricative,

etc.).

(a) cheery _____affricate_____ (d) funny ___fricative_______ (g) merry _____nasal_____

(b) crazy ______stop____ (e) jolly ______affricate____ (h) silly _____fricative_____

9 Which English words are usually pronounced as they are transcribed here?

(a) baɪk ____bike____ (e) haʊl____howl____ (i) maɪn ____mine____

(b) bæʤ _____badge___ (f) hoʊpɪŋ ____hoping____ (j) pis ___piss_____

(d) feɪs ____face____ (h) kloʊk ____cloak____ (l) ʃip ___ship_____

10 Using symbols introduced in this chapter, write a basic phonetic transcription of the most

common pronunciation of the following words.

(a) catch _____/kæʧ/ _____ (e) noise _____/nɔɪz/ _____ (i) thought ___/θɔt/ _______

(b) doubt ____/daʊt/ ______ (f) phone _____/foʊn/ _____ (j) tough ____/tʌf/ ______

(d) measure____/ˈmɛʒər/ _____ (h) these ____/ðiz/ ____ (l) wring ____/rɪŋ/ _____

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