Phonetics and Phonology

     One of the first things to keep in mind when you study is to know exactly what you are talking about.  Some times we get confused when we think we understand something to find out that you did not have an accurate idea of what you were studying.  To avoid that, I am sharing with you the definition of Iyabode Omolara Akewo Daniel, Ph.D. of phonetics and phonology: 

1.1 Phonetics and Phonology – definition and distinction

1.1.1 Phonetics

Phonetics is a scientific description of what speech sounds exist in a language. It represents how they are produced and perceived and what acoustic properties they have. Thus, it can be put in the class of natural sciences. Phonetics essentially seeks to trace the processes physiologically involved in sound production. It describes the ways the sounds are produced and the points at which they are articulated.

1.1.2 Phonology

Phonology is concerned with the regularities that govern the phonetic realisations of sounds in words of a language. It looks at and tries to establish a system of sound distinctions relevant to a particular language. It then seeks to determine how the elements of this abstract system behave in actual speech. Phonology actually delineates the functioning of sounds in particular contexts.

1.1.3 The Distinction

From the above, it is obvious that phonology is not phonetics, neither is phonetics phonology. They are however both subject to descriptive details if proper instrument of analysis is applied. The question then is: what is the difference?

From the definitions above, the difference should be somewhat obvious. We have said that phonetics describes the physical realisation of sounds. It studies the physiological processes involved in sound

production. Phonology on the other hand looks at the behavioural patterns of sounds in actual speech, their realisations in different environments, whatsoever these may be.

Phonetics is thus concerned with sound production while phonology studies sound behaviour in realisation. Adeyanju (2003) expatiates on the difference. This is in terms of phonetics being concerned with providing the set of features which can describe the sounds of a language while phonology provides the information that has to do with the functional patterning of the sounds in the language. He thus views phonetics as providing the raw materials for the description of the speech sounds production while phonology is about the organisation of the sound patterns in the language. Essentially then, we could safely say that phonetics describes the production process involved in physical sounds while phonology describes the environmental factors that shape these sounds in

particular points of occurrence.

To show this difference, let us look at the sound /t/.

/t/ is phonetically described as a pulmonic egressive voiceless alveolar plosive. What this means is that the air stream coming out from the lungs initiated the sound. The vocal folds did not vibrate in the course of its production. The blade of the tongue had contact with the teeth ridge (the alveolar). This contact created a total obstruction of the air stream coming from the lungs. This air stream was suddenly released, thus creating an ‘explosion’. These are the phonetic characteristics of the sound. We will talk more about these later.

However, the environment in which this sound occurs in the course of its production will influence the phonological description. These environments are usually sounds, other sounds, that is, or the position of the sound in relation to other sounds.

Thus, phonologically, /t/ can be realised with aspiration in the initial position of a stressed syllable; that is, when /t/ comes before other sounds in a stressed syllable. It can be realised as being lateralised when immediately followed by the lateral /l/. It can also become nasalised if its closest succeeding neighbour is a nasal, especially the alveolar nasal /n/, which is actually a homorganic sound.

Thus, we see the phoneme /t/ realised phonologically as

/th/ in tape

/tL/ in kettle

/tN/ in kitten

/to/ in other positions as in Kate

(Source: Daniel, I. O. (2011).  Introductory Phonetics and Phonology of English.  Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.)

    Note: the letters underlined in the transcription of the /t/ sound were supercript in the original text)

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