Phonetics: Consonant and Vowel Sounds in Catalan
Africates are best understood in two phases: it starts with a step of interrupting the upper interface, which resolves to a narrowing of sounds similar to fricatives:
- [Ts] [t]: Tsar, wick (voiceless africates)
- [Dz] [d]: random, doctor (voiced africates)
Laterals: In laterals, air escapes through the sides:
- [L] []: Lollar
Vibrants: To articulate them, the tip of the tongue vibrates:
- [R] []: rare
Nasals: In articulating them, a part of the upper interface leaves the nasal cavity where resonance occurs:
- [M] [] [n]: maid
Contact Consonant Events
If we look at how fast the diction is spoken in a phrase like “a dog“, we will realize that the n is pronounced [] (the phenomenon that takes place is called assimilation and velarization). Syntactic phonetics studies such alterations of sounds, influenced by phonic context.
Elision
Certain consonants pronounced stop. In this case, we speak of elision. Consider two groups of word-final consonants:
Stops
- Tom b Cam p
- [Kam] [Tom]
Vibrants
- Save, governed r r
- [Za d] [r O]
A final is silent after occlusive [m] or [n], the r-final infinitives, certain endings and suffixes are also elided.
Liaison
Liaison is the opposite phenomenon of elision. It consists of pronouncing certain consonants that would otherwise be silent.
- T and twenty percent followed by certain words:
- Cen t years, a cen t
- Vin t years
- T-san + the name of a saint beginning with a vowel:
- San t Antoni, San t Esteve.
Masking/Sound
Ith | | fre d | |
[B RP] [ft]
The words ending in the phoneme /b/, /d/, and their derivatives. These phonemes are realized as voiceless: their allophones are [p] [t]. This phenomenon is termed masking. It is a case of phonological neutralization, as in word-finally the opposition voiceless/voiced disappears.
Gemination
Gemination means flexing, and geminates are double. Geminations are simplified in colloquial pronunciation (school, annex, addicted…).
- BaTLL and TLL comes to
- [] []
Vowel Sounds
The characterization of eight members of Catalan is simpler than that of the consonants. Since all are voiced, we should take into account the degree and the commuting articulation.
The vowel is the nucleus of the syllable and, if it receives stress, it is tonic; otherwise, it is unstressed.
Phoneme
In speech, the minimum unit is the meaningless phoneme, which is made concrete in the sounds of speech. Its graphical presentation is made by means of graphemes (letters).
Sounds dull, p e c t a; faith or s ix; tx me is; e t s EMBLEM
[P] [t] [k] [f] [] [s] [t] [ts]
Sounds voiced b or d in G; v e g e s it, I will tg; in Tz EMBLEM
[B] [d] [g] [v] [] [] [d] [dz]
The Characterization of Consonant Sounds
The upper interface that comes out of the lungs becomes articulated sound thanks to the physiological movements; the vibration of the vocal cords produces sound. There are three factors involved in the articulation of consonant sounds:
Voiceless/Voiced Sound
Whether a sound is voiceless or voiced depends on how the vocal cords (membranous elastic muscles lodged in the larynx) act. If the upper interface of the lungs that leads to the vocal cords is relaxed, there is a voiceless sound: the cords do not vibrate. However, if the cords are strained, air vibrates and produces a voiced sound.
Articulation Mode
The mode of articulation is related to the degree usually related to commuting to take bodies phonation at a particular point of the mouth. According to them, we will give structure, distinguish between different classes of consonant sounds:
Occlusives
In articulating them, there is an occlusion of the upper interface output:
- [P] [t] [k]: cigarette case (voiceless occlusive)
- [B] [d] [g]: hold (voiced occlusive)
Fricatives
In articulating them, air passes rubbing occurs because a narrow channel in the upper interface:
- [F] [] [s]: beams (voiceless fricatives)
- [V] [] [z]: seeing it (voiced fricative)
Approximants
In articulating them, there is a convergence of two articulator bodies, which creates a smaller constriction and does not cause turbulence. They are composed of two different subclasses: [j] and [w], which are consonant variants of vowels ([i] and [u]) and the sounds [] [] and [which are a variant of voiced oral occlusives [b], [d] and [g] when they are in intervocalic position.