Ling 403/603

Introduction to Phonology

DAY 3
CESAR KOIRALA

Phonology
The set of sounds that occur in a given language.
The permissible arrangements of these sounds in words.
The process of adding, deleting, or changing sounds.

Phonology : Study of speech sounds

and sound patterns.

The sounds that occur in a given language

There are a few sounds in our language that we are mentally aware of.
In physical reality, these sounds are produced using different physical

gestures.
Mental reality and physical reality are quite different.

The example of the t sound in English

In the speakers mind, these are members of the same category
In physical reality, they are all different:

tap
stop
let
seating

[tp]
[stp]
[l]
[si]

Phonemic vs. phonetic levels

/t/
[t]

[]

[t]
[]

Phonology
In phonology we will concentrate on the nature of sounds in the head

and their relationship with the sounds that we physically produce

Sounds in the head are called phonemes, and are always written with
slanted brackets //
Physically produced sounds are called phones, and are always
written with angled brackets []

Underlying (phonemic) Representation:

Surface (phonetic) Representation:

/ht/
[ht]

Phonology
The first step in analyzing a languages phonology is to locate all of its

basic sounds (phonemes).

Phonology
The first step in analyzing a languages phonology is to locate all of its

basic sounds (phonemes).

How do we determine whether a sound is phonemic in a given language
or not?

Minimal pairs
Two words of a language that differ in only one sound.

Minimal pairs
Two words of a language that differ in only one sound.
Some examples of minimal pairs in English:

[pin] [tin] -> Only the first sounds differ

[bt] [bIt] -> Only the second sound differ
[hd] [ht] -> Only the last sound differ

Minimal pairs
Two words of a language that differ in only one sound.
Some examples of minimal pairs in English:

[pin] [tin] -> Only the first sounds differ

[bt] [bIt] -> Only the second sound differ
[hd] [ht] -> Only the last sound differ
This tells us that sounds /p/, /t/, /d/, //, /I/ are phonemes of English.

Minimal pairs
Two words of a language that differ in only one sound.
Some examples of minimal pairs in English:

[pin] [tin] -> Only the first sounds differ

[bt] [bIt] -> Only the second sound differ
[hd] [ht] -> Only the last sound differ
This tells us that sounds /p/, /t/, /d/, //, /I/ are phonemes of English.
The basic idea is that phonemes serve to distinguish words from each

other. Hence, finding minimal pairs is the most effective way to show
that two sounds are distinct phonemes.

English Phonemes : consonants

The IPA chart(Consonants)

English phonemes: vowels

3 dimensional classification of English Vowels

Distinctiveness and Contrast

Phonemically distinct sounds are said to be in Contrast.
These are just the ways of saying that two sounds are separate

phonemes.

Finnish
Examine the pairs of sounds [t] & [d] and [s] & [z]. Are [t] and [d] in

contrastive distribution in Finish? What about [s] and [z]?

[ku:zi]
[madon]
[maton]
[ratas]

six
of a worm
of a rug
wheel

[li:sa]
[kate]
[katot]
[ku:si]

Lisa
cover
roofs
six

[kadot] failures
[li:za]
Lisa
[radan] of a track

Finnish
Examine the pairs of sounds [t] & [d] and [s] & [z]. Are [t] and [d] in

contrastive distribution in Finish? What about [s] and [z]?

[ku:zi]
[madon]
[maton]
[ratas]

six
of a worm
of a rug
wheel

[li:sa]
[kate]
[katot]
[ku:si]

Lisa
cover
roofs
six

[kadot] failures
[li:za]
Lisa
[radan] of a track

What does this tell us about these sounds in Finnish?

Spanish
Examine the sounds [d] and []. Determine whether they are in
contrastive distribution? If they are separate phonemes, give minimal
pairs.

[drama] drama
[anda] beat it
[kaa] each
[sueldo] salary

[komia] food
[dime] tell me
[durar] to last
[toldo] curtain

[dolor]
[lao]
[falda]
[oio]

pain
side
skirt
hatred

Spanish
Examine the sounds [d] and []. Determine whether they are in
contrastive distribution? If they are separate phonemes, give minimal
pairs.

[drama] drama
[anda] beat it
[kaa] each
[sueldo] salary

[komia] food
[dime] tell me
[durar] to last
[toldo] curtain

[dolor]
[lao]
[falda]
[oio]

What does this tell us about this sound in Spanish?

pain
side
skirt
hatred

Sounds that do not contrast

There are sounds such that the difference between the two could never

be the (sole) distinction between words. There are no minimal pairs.

They cannot occur in the same environment.

Sounds that do not contrast

There are sounds such that the difference between the two could never

be the (sole) distinction between words. There are no minimal pairs.

They cannot occur in the same environment.

vs.
[katot]
roofs
[kadot] failures

Sounds that do not contrast

There are sounds such that the difference between the two could never

be the (sole) distinction between words. There are no minimal pairs.

They cannot occur in the same environment.

vs.
[katot]
roofs
[kadot] failures
Can we predict the environment for non-contrastive sounds?

Predicting environments - Aspiration

Are [t] and [t] contrastive in English? If not, can you predict the

environment in which [t] appears?

[ tp]
[ tin]
[ twajn]
[ tru]

tap
tin
twine
truth

[ stp] stop
[ stul] stool

Predicting environments - Aspiration

Are [t] and [t] contrastive in English? If not, can you predict the

environment in which [t] appears?

[ tp]
[ tin]
[ twajn]
[ tru]

tap
tin
twine
truth

[ stp] stop
[ stul] stool

/t/ is always aspirated when it occurs in the beginning of stressed

syllables

Predicting environments - Flapping

Are [t] and [] contrastive in English? If not, can you predict the

environment in which [] occurs?

[ si] sitting
[ m] atom
[ hii] hitting
[ stp] stop
[ st] sat
[ stul] stool

Predicting environments - Flapping

Are [t] and [] contrastive in English? If not, can you predict the

environment in which [] occurs?

[ si] sitting
[ m] atom
[ hii] hitting
[ stp] stop
[ st] sat
[ stul] stool
/t/ is realized as a flap when it is preceded by a stressed vowel and

followed by an unstressed vowel

Predicting environments - Glottalization

Are [t] and [] contrastive in English? If not, can you predict the

environment in which [] occurs?

[l] let
[f] fat

/t/ is realized as glottal stop when it occurs at the end of a word

Can we predict the environments?

/t/ is always aspirated when it occurs in the beginning of stressed

syllables
/t/ is realized as glottal stop when it occurs at the end of a word

/t/ is realized as a flap when it is preceded by a stressed vowel and

followed by an unstressed vowel

/t/ is realized as an voiceless alveolar stop when it occurs in any other

environment

Can we predict the environments?

The fact that the appearance of [t], [], [] and [t] is predictable is

important.
These sounds are said to be in complementary distribution.

Can we predict the environments?

The fact that the appearance of [t], [], [] and [t] is predictable is

important.
These sounds are said to be in complementary distribution.

Two sounds are said to be in complementary distribution if one sound

never occurs in the environment in which the other occurs.

Complementary distribution
Complementary Distribution:
Two sounds are in complementary
distribution if they occur in different
environments.
If two sounds are in complementary
distribution, they are allophones of the
same phoneme.

Allophones
We say that /t/ is a phoneme, and [t],[],[],[t] are its allophones

Allophones are phones that are associated with the same phoneme

Phoneme (UR):
Allophones (SR):

/t/
[t]

[]

[]

[t]

Phonemic vs. phonetic levels

/t/
[t]

[]

[t]
[]

Example
Consider the words from Thai and English below and answer questions.

Thai
[paan]
[phaan]
[baan]

like, as
tray with pedestal
classifier

English
[phik]
'to peek'
[spik] 'to speak'
[bik]
'beak

What is the distribution of [p] and [ph] in Thai?

2. What is the distribution of [p] and [ph] in English?
3. What is the distribution of [b] and [ph] in English?
1.

Example
Consider the words from Thai and English below and answer questions.

Thai
[paan]
[phaan]
[baan]

like, as
tray with pedestal
classifier

English
[phik]
'to peek'
[spik] 'to speak'
[bik]
'beak

What is the distribution of [p] and [ph] in Thai?

2. What is the distribution of [p] and [ph] in English?
3. What is the distribution of [b] and [ph] in English?
1.

The same set of sounds can be in different distributions in different

languages

Phonological Rules
Generalizations about the patterning of allophones can be stated as

phonological rules.

Phonological Rules
/t/ is always aspirated when it occurs in the beginning of stressed

syllables
/t/ is realized as glottal stop when it occurs at the end of a word

/t/ is realized as a flap when it is preceded by a stressed vowel and

followed by an unstressed vowel

/t/ is realized as an voiceless alveolar stop when it occurs in any other

environment

Formalizing the rules

Glottalization of /t/:

e.g. #lt# -> #l#

Formalizing the rules

Glottalization of /t/:

e.g. #lt# -> #l#

Formalizing the rules

Glottalization of /t/:

e.g.

t# -> #

Formalizing the rules

Glottalization of /t/:

e.g.

t# -> #

We describe the change and the environment of the change in two

parts. Hence:
t -> / _#

Formalizing the rules

Glottalization of /t/:

e.g.

t# -> #

We describe the change and the environment of the change in two

parts. Hence:
t -> / _#

The
change
that is
taking
place

Formalizing the rules

Glottalization of /t/:

e.g.

t# -> #

We describe the change and the environment of the change in two

parts. Hence:
t -> / _#
The environment
in which the rule
applies
The
change
that is
taking
place

Formalizing the rules

Flapping of /t/:

What changes?
(b) In what environment?
(a)

Formalizing the rules

Flapping of /t/:

What changes?
(b) In what environment?
(a)

t->

Formalizing the rules

Flapping of /t/:

What changes?
(b) In what environment?
(a)

t->
V_V

Formalizing the rules

Flapping of /t/:

What changes?
(b) In what environment?
(a)

t->
V_V

stressed

Formalizing the rules

Flapping of /t/:

What changes?
(b) In what environment?
(a)

t->
V_V

stressed

Rule:
t / V ___ V
[stress]

The steps of the phonological analysis

1) Minimal pair (phoneme)
2) Before & After Chart
3) Relevant pattern (complementary distribution, allophone)
4) Generalize the environment
5) Decide the basic form (that will give the simpler rule)
6) Form the rule.

Example
Korean: Consider the distribution of [r] and [l] in Korean in the

following words. Are they is complementary distribution? If yes, give a

rule that describes this change in Korean.
[rubi] ruby
[kiri] length
[saram] person
[irm] name
[ratio] radio
[phal] arm

[mul] water
[pal] leg
[sul] Seoul
[ilgop] seven
[ibalsa] barber
[mun] door