PHONOLOGY

Is a branch of linguistics concerned with the systematic organization of sounds in languages. It has traditionally focused largely on study of the systems of phonemes in particular languages, but it may also cover any linguistic analysis either at a level beneath the word (including syllable, onset and rhyme, articulatory gestures and articulatory features)

 

PHONETICS


Is a branch of linguistics that comprises the study of the sounds of human speech. It is concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds or signs (phones): their physiological production, acoustic properties, auditory perception, and neurophysiological status. 


                                        

MINIMAL PAIR

A minimal pair consists of two words that have just one small difference in sound with different meanings. 'Ship' and 'Sheep' are a minimal pair.

CONSONANT


All the letters in the alphabet are either consonants or vowels. A consonant is a speech sound in which the air is at least partly blocked, and any letter which represents this. Consonants may come singly or in clusters, but must be connected to a vowel to form a syllable.
Consonants have friction when they are spoken, mostly using the position of the tongue against the lips, teeth and roof of the mouth. 

VOWEL


A vowel is a speech sound made by the vocal cords. It is also a type of letter in the alphabet.
The letters of the English alphabet are either vowels or consonants or both. A vowel sound comes from the lungs, through the vocal cords, and is not blocked, so there is no friction. All English words have vowels.
These letters are vowels in English:
A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y
The letter Y can be a vowel (as in the word "cry" or "candy"), or it can be a consonant (as in "yellow").

INTONATION


Intonation is the "music" of a language, and is perhaps the most important element of a good accent. Often we hear someone speaking with perfect grammar, and perfect formation of the sounds of English but with a little something that gives them away as not being a native speaker. But it is intonation that gives the final touch that makes an accent native. 

STRESS

Stress In linguistics, stress is the relative emphasis that may be given to certain syllables in a word. In English, stress is most dramatically realized on focussed or accented words.  The term is also used for similar patterns of phonetic prominence inside syllables.

GRAPHEME

Graphemes are the smallest units in a writing system capable of causing a contrast in meaning. 

It is usual to transcribe graphemes within angle brackets, to show their special status: <c>, <b>. The main graphemes of English are the twenty-six units that make up the alphabet. 

PHONEME

A phoneme is the smallest meaningful unit of sound in a language. A meaningful sound is one that will change one word into another word.
The following phonemes are the phonemes in English: