What is the difference between phonetics and phonology in terms of their focus?

Phonetics And Phonology Questions



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What is the difference between phonetics and phonology in terms of their focus?

Phonetics and phonology are both subfields of linguistics that study the sounds of human language, but they differ in terms of their focus.

Phonetics focuses on the physical properties of sounds, including their production, transmission, and perception. It examines the articulatory, acoustic, and auditory aspects of speech sounds. Phonetics is concerned with describing and classifying the sounds of language, regardless of their linguistic function or meaning. It analyzes the physical characteristics of sounds, such as their place and manner of articulation, and uses symbols like the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to represent them.

On the other hand, phonology focuses on the abstract and mental representations of sounds in a particular language or languages. It studies the patterns and rules governing the organization and distribution of sounds within a language system. Phonology is concerned with the way sounds function and interact with each other to convey meaning. It investigates phonemes, which are the smallest units of sound that can distinguish meaning in a language, and analyzes phonological processes, such as assimilation, deletion, and vowel harmony.

In summary, phonetics deals with the physical properties of sounds, while phonology examines the abstract and mental representations of sounds within a language system.