Phonemes .

PHONEMES
CONTENT
1. Phonemes
2. Allophones
3. Symbols
Phonemic symbols
Phonetic symbols
4. Transcriptions
Broad/phonemic transcription
Narrow/ Phonetic transcription
5. Rules for English allophones
PHONEMES
• Phonemes are abstract mental units that represent sounds. A phoneme is the
smallest segment of sound which can distinguish two words
• Take the words “pit” and “bit”.
• These differ only in their initial sound. (“Pit” begins with /p/ and “bit”
begins with “b”)
• This is the smallest amount by which these two words could differ and
still remain distinct forms.
→ /p/ and /b/ are considered two phonemes.
PHONEMES
 There are 44 phonemes in English. They can be divided into two types:
consonants (24) and vowels (20)
 Each phoneme is meaningless in isolation. It becomes meaningful only
when it is combined with other phonemes.
 Phonemes forms a set of abstract units that can be used for writing
down a language systematically and unambiguously.
 Reason: A letter can be represented by different sounds
A phoneme can be represented by different letters or
combination of letters.
MINIMAL PAIRS
 Pair of words such as “pit” and “bit”, “pit” and “pet”,
“back” and “bag” which differ by only one phoneme in

identical environment are known as minimal pairs
 One way to identify the phonemes of any language is to
look for minimal pairs

FOUR GOLDEN RULES FOR
MINIMAL PAIRS:
1. They must have the same number of sounds
2. They must be identical in every sound except for one
3. The sound that is different must be in the same position in
each word
4. The words must have different meanings
ALLOPHONES
• Allophones are the various pronunciations of a
phoneme
[t] and [th] are allophones of the phoneme /t/
• The way a phoneme is pronounced is conditioned by the
sounds around it or its position in the word. For example: /t/
[th:i] tea
/t/ [to] : stay
[t ] : get there
PHONEMES & ALLOPHONES
 Phonemes are written between / / brackets
 Allophones are written between [ ] brackets

/t/phonemic (abstract/mental) category
in your mind
[t] [th] allophonic (phonetic) realizations
what you actually say

SYMBOLS
Phonemic symbols: Phonetic symbols:
• Are symbols for • Are symbols for allophones.
phonemes.
• They are used to given an
• The number of phonemic
accurate label to an
symbols must be exactly allophones of a phoneme or to
the same as the number of represent sounds more
phonemes we decide to accurately.
exist in the language.
• Phonetic symbols usually
• In RP there are 44 make use of diacritics
phonemic symbols
TRANSCRIPTION
 Broad/phonemic transcription
 Narrow/phonetic transcription
BROAD (PHONEMIC) VS NARROW
(PHONETIC) TRANSCRIPTION
Criteria Phonemic transcription Allophonic transcription
Symbols - Uses slanting bracket -Uses square bracket
Feature - Shows different phonemes - Shows how sounds are

that make up word. pronounced including phonetic
details (allophones)
- It does not show any extra
features, no detail of
pronunciation
Eg Car /ka:/ : Car / kha:/ - show both

shows the phonemes phonemes and phonetic
involved in the word only. detail: The symbol [h ] indicates
that phoneme [k] is aspirated.
RULES FOR ENGLISH
CONSONANT ALLOPHONES
RULE 1
When syllable- initial or
Voiceless stops /p,
k, t/ aspirated
in initial position of a
stressed syllable
E.g. pen [phen]

testy [thesti]
RULE 2
After /s/ at the
Voiceless plosives /p,
k, t/ unaspirated
beginning of a syllable
e.g. stay [st°eɪ]

sky [sk°aɪ]
speak [kp°i:k]
RULE 3
Before another plosive

Plosives /p, b, t, unexploded
d, k, g/
 E.g.
Apt [æp̚t]
Act [æk̚t]
Looked [lƱk̚t]
RULE 4
Approximant After initial /k, p, t/

devoiced
/r, w, j/+Lateral /l/
 E.g. play [ploeɪ]

RULE 5
Obstruents = Plosives + fricatives
Voiced Syllable- final in a word group or before

obstruent a voiceless sounds
/b, d, g, v, ð, Devoiced
Ʒ, z/ Except when followed by a voiced
sounds
EX: Try to improve [ʧaɪ tə ɪmpru:vo ]

Add two [ædo tu:’]
But bad girl’ [bæd gɜ:l]
RULE 6
At end of word
nasal syllabic
and after obstruents
 EX: garden [gɑ:dn|]

chasm [kæzm| ] But film [fɪlm]
RULE 7
At end of word
Lateral /l/ syllablic
And after another consonant
EX: paddle [pædl|]

channel [ʧænl|]
But file /faɪl/
 Note: /l/ does not become syllabic after /dЗ, t∫/
satchel /sæʧəl/
angel /eɪnʤəl/
RULE 8
Before dentals /ð, θ/
alveolar dentalized
EX: wealth /welθ/

tenth /tenθ/
get there /get ðeə/
RULE 9
After vowel and before another consonant
in the same syllable
Lateral /l/ velarized
Or at end of word
EX: file /faɪl/ but life /laɪf/

dealt /delt/
feeling /fi:lɪη/
RULE 10
Before voiceless consonant
vowel shorter
In the same syllable
EX: cap /kævp/ but cab /cæb/

back /bævk/ but bag /bæg/
RULE 11 Before a nasal in the same
syllable
vowel nasalised
EX: song /sɒη/

ban /bæn/
1.Ten players
2.Turn left
3.Cold lunch
4.Has the post come
5.He ought to

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PHONEMES

• Take the words “pit” and “bit”.

 Pair of words such as “pit” and “bit”, “pit” and “pet”,

“back” and “bag” which differ by only one phoneme in

 One way to identify the phonemes of any language is to

look for minimal pairs

 Allophones are written between [ ] brackets

[t] [th] allophonic (phonetic) realizations

what you actually say

Symbols - Uses slanting bracket -Uses square bracket

Feature - Shows different phonemes - Shows how sounds are

Eg Car /ka:/ : Car / kha:/ - show both

E.g. pen [phen]

e.g. stay [st°eɪ]

Before another plosive

Approximant After initial /k, p, t/

 E.g. play [ploeɪ]

Voiced Syllable- final in a word group or before

EX: Try to improve [ʧaɪ tə ɪmpru:vo ]

 EX: garden [gɑ:dn|]

EX: paddle [pædl|]

EX: wealth /welθ/

EX: file /faɪl/ but life /laɪf/

EX: cap /kævp/ but cab /cæb/

EX: song /sɒη/

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