Phonetics And Phonology Questions Medium
Phonetics and phonology are two subfields of linguistics that study the sounds of human language, but they differ in their focus and approach.
Phonetics is concerned with the physical properties of sounds, specifically how they are produced, transmitted, and perceived. It analyzes the articulatory, acoustic, and auditory aspects of speech sounds. Phonetics aims to describe and classify all the possible sounds that can be produced in human languages, known as phonemes. It focuses on the individual sounds themselves, without considering their role in language structure or meaning.
On the other hand, phonology is concerned with the abstract and mental representation of sounds in a particular language or languages. It examines how sounds function within a specific linguistic system and how they interact with each other to form meaningful units, such as words or syllables. Phonology investigates the patterns and rules that govern the distribution and organization of sounds in a language, known as phonological rules. It also explores the role of phonological features, such as voicing or place of articulation, in distinguishing between different sounds.
In summary, phonetics deals with the physical properties of speech sounds, while phonology focuses on their abstract representation and their role in language structure and meaning. Phonetics is concerned with the universal aspects of sounds, while phonology studies the specific patterns and rules of individual languages.