Phonetics and Speech Science

Written in a clear, approachable way, this is an accessible yet comprehensive introduction to phonetics, ideal for beginners.

Ian R. A. MacKay (Author)

9781108452038, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 11 May 2023

458 pages
24.4 x 17.2 x 2.2 cm, 0.93 kg

'This valuable textbook is a comprehensive and authoritative resource for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of speech sounds and their production. What sets this book apart from others is its comprehensive coverage of both articulatory and acoustic phonetics without sacrificing detail in either area. MacKay has done a commendable job of presenting complex concepts in a clear and accessible manner, making the material easy to understand and apply.' Amanda Dalola, University of Minnesota

Phonetics is a fundamental building block not just in linguistics but also in fields such as communication disorders. However, introductions to phonetics can often assume a background in linguistics, whilst at the same time overlooking the clinical and scientific aspects of the field. This textbook fills this gap by providing a comprehensive yet accessible overview of phonetics that delves into the fundamental science underlying the production of speech. Written with beginners in mind, it focuses on the anatomy and physiology of speech, while at the same time explaining the very basics of phonetics, such as the phonemes of English, the International Phonetic Alphabet, and phonetic transcription systems. It presents the sounds of speech as elements of linguistic structure and as the result of complex biological mechanics. It explains complicated terminology in a clear, easy-to-understand way, and provides examples from a range of languages, from disorders of speech, and from language learning.

List of figures
List of tables
Acknowledgments
1. Phonetics and language
2. Phonetic transcription
3. Anatomy and physiology of speech
4. Air pressure and aerodynamics
5. Consonants
6. Vowels
7. Sounds of North American English
8. Voice, phonation, and nasality
9. Airstream mechanisms: clicks, implosives, ejectives, esophageal speech
10. Speech dynamics
11. Suprasegmentals
12. Acoustics
13. Interlocutors: talkers and hearers
Glossary
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Phonetics, phonology [CFH]