Emerging Questions

EMERGING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
(1) How do we know that a sound is voiced or voiceless?
Sounds are categorized as voiced or voiceless based on the presence or absence

of vibration of the vocal cords during their production.
Voiced sounds: When producing voiced sounds, such as [z], [v], or [b], the vocal
cords in the larynx come together and vibrate, creating a buzzing or vibrating sensation
in the throat.
Voiceless sounds: In contrast, voiceless sounds like [s], [f], or [p] are produced
without vocal cord vibration.
(2) What are the other distinguishing marks of lenis/fortis sound other than
being voiced or voiceless?
Lenis and fortis, often referred to as "fortis and lenis," are distinctions in
consonant sounds based on several characteristics in addition to voicelessness and
voicing:
1. Aspiration. This refers to the presence or absence of a brief puff of air that
accompanies the release of a sound. Fortis sounds are typically aspirated, meaning
there is a noticeable burst of air when they are pronounced. For example, the "p" in
"pat" is aspirated. Lenis sounds, on the other hand, are typically unaspirated, meaning
there is little or no audible puff of air. The "p" in "spat" is usually unaspirated.
2. Duration. Fortis sounds are often shorter in duration compared to lenis

sounds. This means they are produced with a quicker release and a shorter time during
which the vocal tract is constricted. This distinction in duration is particularly noticeable
in pairs of sounds like [t] (fortis) and [d] (lenis).
3. Tension. Fortis sounds are produced with greater tension or muscle force
than lenis sounds. For example, pronouncing a fortis [t] involves more muscle tension
and effort compared to the lenis [d].
4. Strength. Fortis sounds are typically perceived as "stronger" or "harder" in

terms of their acoustic properties, whereas lenis sounds are perceived as "softer" or
"weaker."
These characteristics, in combination with voicing, help differentiate between
fortis and lenis sounds in various languages. It's important to note that not all
languages make this distinction, and the specific features of fortis and lenis sounds can
vary between languages.
(3) When do we use allophanes?
Allophones are variant pronunciations of a single phoneme in a specific language.

They are used in a language based on their position or context within words. For
example, in English, the 't' sound in "top" is aspirated [th], while in "stop," it's
unaspirated [t]. These variants are allophones of the same phoneme /t/. The choice of
allophone often depends on neighboring sounds and the syllable's position. Allophones
help speakers of a language communicate effectively by adapting sounds to their
surroundings, and they don't change the meaning of a word. Linguists analyze
allophones to understand the phonological rules and patterns of a language.
(4) How does a phoneme become aspirated, un-aspirated, and flap?
The pronunciation of a phoneme can vary based on its context within a word and
the surrounding sounds. Here's how a phoneme can become aspirated, unaspirated, or
a flap:
1. Aspiration. Aspiration occurs when there is a brief puff of air accompanying

the release of a stop consonant like /p/, /t/, or /k/. In English, these sounds are
typically aspirated at the beginning of a stressed syllable, such as in "pat" [phæt]. The
aspiration is a result of a stronger burst of air when the stop is released.
2. Unaspiration. The same stop consonants can be unaspirated in other

contexts, like at the beginning of an unstressed syllable or following certain
consonants. For example, in the word "spat" [spæt], the /p/ is usually unaspirated,
meaning there is no noticeable puff of air.
3. Flapping. Flapping is a phonological process where a stop consonant like /t/

or /d/ is pronounced as a quick, light tap of the tongue against the alveolar ridge. This
typically occurs between vowels or following a stressed vowel in American English. For
example, in the word "better," the /t/ in the middle is often pronounced as a flap [ɾ].
The choice between aspiration, unaspiration, or flapping is influenced by factors

such as stress, syllable structure, and adjacent sounds within a word or sentence.
(5) When does an utterance become phonemic or phonetic?
An utterance becomes phonemic when it represents the abstract, underlying, and

contrastive sound patterns of a language. In this context, it conveys meaningful
distinctions between phonemes, which can change word meanings. Phonemic
transcriptions use slashes (/ /) to enclose phonemes, focusing on the minimal
distinctive sound units.
An utterance becomes phonetic when it represents the actual, physical

realization of speech sounds, taking into account variations, assimilations, and
context-dependent pronunciations. Phonetic transcriptions use square brackets ([ ]) to
enclose specific sounds as they occur in speech, considering allophonic variations.
For example, in English, the words "bit" /bɪt/ and "beat" /bit/ differ in meaning
due to the distinct phoneme /i/ versus /ɪ/. Phonemic transcriptions highlight this
contrast, while phonetic transcriptions would account for the variations in vowel
pronunciation as they occur in context, like [biʔ] and [biːt].
Phonemic and phonetic representations serve different linguistic purposes, with

phonemic focusing on abstract distinctions and phonetic providing a detailed account of
actual speech sounds.
I. Identification. Answer the following. Determine what is being described or asked.
1) It is figuratively expressed as the “music of the language”.

2) It is the basic unit of speech sound.
3) An articular used in uttering sounds like /d3/ in jig and /tf/ in ‘cheezar’.
4)
5) What are the three parts of tongue action?
6)
7) It forms the roof of the mouth.
8) An articulator that is used when you whisper or speak in a cracking voice.
9) These are known as the voiced sounds.
10) A group of sounds produced by a single chest pulse and containing a vowel.
11) The act of accentuating a syllable in a word.
12) and 13) What are the rules on word stress?
13)
14) In most verbs, where the stress lies?
15) This is known as the beat or rhythm in English.
16) These are words that carry sense.
17) to 20) Excluding falling, give the other intonation patterns.
18)
19)
20)
II. Statement Validation. Determine whether the statement is right or wrong. Write
FACT if it conveys accurate information, otherwise, FLAWED.
1) The study of phonology encompasses language barriers.

2) Articulators pertain to the places of articulation.
3) /Th/, /f/, and /v/ sounds are produced in the alveolar ridge.
4) Palato-alveolar sounds are composition of alveolar ridge and soft palate.
5) Lenis sounds are identified in differentiating ‘kick’ and ‘tick’.
6) Fortis sounds are identified in uttering the words ‘dig’ and ‘gag’.
7) The rule on vowels (related to stressing) involves that when there are two
vowels, the first one is being emphasized.
8) There are 45 consonant phonemes and 20 vowel phonemes.
9) When one utters ‘yoke’, it is uttered using the glottal articulator and fricative
manner.
10) The term FIRE in the sentence “The house is on fire!” is a keyword.

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EMERGING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

(1) How do we know that a sound is voiced or voiceless?

Sounds are categorized as voiced or voiceless based on the presence or absence

2. Duration. Fortis sounds are often shorter in duration compared to lenis

4. Strength. Fortis sounds are typically perceived as "stronger" or "harder" in

(3) When do we use allophanes?

Allophones are variant pronunciations of a single phoneme in a specific language.

(4) How does a phoneme become aspirated, un-aspirated, and flap?

1. Aspiration. Aspiration occurs when there is a brief puff of air accompanying

2. Unaspiration. The same stop consonants can be unaspirated in other

3. Flapping. Flapping is a phonological process where a stop consonant like /t/

The choice between aspiration, unaspiration, or flapping is influenced by factors

An utterance becomes phonemic when it represents the abstract, underlying, and

An utterance becomes phonetic when it represents the actual, physical

Phonemic and phonetic representations serve different linguistic purposes, with

1) It is figuratively expressed as the “music of the language”.

1) The study of phonology encompasses language barriers.

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