1. Phonetics as a science

Phonetics is the science that studies the sound system of the language that is segmental phonemes, word stress, syllabic structure and intonation.

Connections with grammar, lexicology, stylistics, sociolinguistic, kinesics, etc.

General — the complex nature of phonetic phenomena and formulates phonetic laws and principles.

Special — the phonetic structure of a particular language.

Descriptive — the phonetic structure of the language system synchronically.

Historical — diachronically.

Segmental — individual sounds.

Suprasegmental — larger units (syllables, words, phrases, and text).

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2. Articulatory aspect of speech sounds

Speech sound is a complex of definite coordinated and differentiated movements and positions of the various speech organs.

Speech organs: active and passive.

According to the function:

- power mechanism (to supply energy in the form of air pressure and regulate the force of stream) - lungs, diaphragm, trachea, pharynx, oral and nasal cavities;

- vibrator mechanism - vocal cords, glottis;

- resonator mechanism - pharynx, oral and nasal cavities;

- obstruction mechanism - tongue, lips, teeth, alveoli, hard and soft palate, back boundary of the pharynx, vocal cords.

Obstructions: complete (occlusive), incomplete (constrictive), intermittent (rolled - RUS 'р'), occlusive-constrictive.

Articulatory P. studies the way in which the air is set in motion, the movements of the speech organs, the coordination of these movements in the production of single sounds or their sequences.

Methods of investigation:

- subjective (direct observation: lip & tongue movement);

- instrumental (palatorgaphy, X-ray photography, electromyography).

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3. Acoustic aspect of speech sounds

Acoustic phonetics deals with properties of speech sounds as presented in vibrations of air between the speakers mouth and the listeners’ ear.

Components of the sound matter of a language:

- fundamental frequency — pitch of the voice (vocal cords vibrate);

- spectral (formant) — spectrum made up by formants (overtones), VC vibrations determine the quality of vowels and sonorants, friction of air particles passing through the obstuction - fricatives, sudden burst - plosives;

- voice timber — expression of all emotions in speech;

- intensity (force) — associated with stress;

- time (temporal) — duration or length of speech sounds and in pauses.

Physical properties of a sound:

- frequency (number of vibrations per second);

- intensity (variations of loudness);

- composition (vibrates not only as a whole, but also in its parts).

Spectrography.

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4. Functional aspect of speech sounds

Functional aspect (phonology) — linguistic functions of individual sounds or segments of speech.

Phonetics - speech sound, phonology - phoneme.

Functions of speech sounds:

- constitutive — speech sounds constitute the material forms of morphemes, words and sentences;

- distinctive — differentiate morphemes, words;

- recognitive — allophones of the same segmental phoneme are exclusive and not-distinctive.

Ways of distinguishing morphemes and words:

- different in the number of speech sounds [hɔt — ‘hɔtə];

- different speech sounds occur in identical positions [tæk — kæt — ækt];

- when two words or two grammatical forms are differentiated by only two different speech sounds occurred in identical positions — a minimal pair [mæt — pæt];

- speech sounds occurring in identical positions are capable of differentiating one member of a minimal pair from the other — mutually distinctive speech sounds [pæk — bæk].

Recognitive:

- none of them is used by the native speakers of the language in the same time position where any other allophone is used;

- if there were interchanges that wouldn’t lead to any confusion of items of language and to misunderstanding.