• ISBN13: 9788126941575
• Binding: Hardcover
• Subject: N/A
• Publisher: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors (P) Ltd
• Publisher Imprint: Atlantic
• Publication Date: May 5, 2025
• Pages: 282
• Original Price: INR 895.0
• Language: English
• Edition: N/A
• Item Weight: 440 grams
• BISAC Subject(s): N/A

In today's globalized world, mastering English is essential, especially for second-language learners. Effective communication requires not only fluency, but also a solid understanding of English phonetics and phonology. A Beginner's Companion to English Phonetics and Phonology provides a comprehensible and approachable introduction to the fundamental concepts of English phonetics and phonology, specifically tailored for students with no prior background. It begins with the basics, such as the process of speech production and the role of the vocal organs, before exploring the articulation and classification of English vowels and consonants. The book also covers key topics like syllable structure, word stress and intonation patterns in a learner-friendly format. To facilitate learning, the content is organized into concise, digestible sections, with key terms highlighted in bold for quick reference. The book includes a variety of thoughtfully designed exercises, each accompanied by comprehensive answer keys, allowing learners to assess their progress and deepen their grasp of core concepts through active engagement. With its clear structure and hands-on approach, this book equips you with the knowledge and skills needed to build a strong foundation in English phonetics and phonology. Whether you're a student, teacher, or curious learner, this is an essential resource for mastering the sounds of English.

Dr. Bijay Ketan Pattanayak, holds a B.A. in English (Honours with Distinction) from Fakir Mohan College (Utkal University), Odisha, and an M.A. in English (First Class) from Utkal University, Odisha. He earned his Ph.D. in English from Ravenshaw University, Odisha, and currently teaches in the Postgraduate Department of English at the Rural Institute of Higher Studies, Bhograi, Odisha. A prolific writer and Associate Editor of Swarnarenu, the college magazine, he has authored several acclaimed books on literary criticism, theory, linguistics, and grammar. His research interests include literary theories, phonetics, Indian English fiction, and religious literature.

• Preface ................................................................................ V
• 1. Introductory......................................................................1-5
• 1.1 Language as a Medium of Human Communication...........................................................1
• 1.2 Characteristics of Language in Brief............................1
• 1.3 Prescriptive and Descriptive Approaches to Language Study...........................................................2
• 1.4 Distinction between Langue and Parole......................3
• 1.5 Speech and Writing.....................................................3
• 1.6 Oral Communication...................................................4
• 1.7 Pioneers of Phonetics...................................................4
• 2. The Airstream Mechanism..............................................6-19
• 2.1 The Mechanism of Speech Production........................6
• 2.2 Branches of Phonetics..................................................7
• 2.3 The Airstream Mechanism........................................10
• 2.3.1 Pulmonic Ingressive Airstream Mechanism......13
• 2.3.2 Pulmonic Egressive Airstream Mechanism.......14
• 2.3.3 Glottalic Ingressive Airstream Mechanism.......14
• 2.3.4 Glottalic Egressive Airstream Mechanism........14
• 2.3.5 Velaric Ingressive Airstream Mechanism..........15
• 2.3.6 Velaric Egressive Airstream Mechanism...........15
• 2.4 The Process of Speech Production.............................16
• 3. The Organs of Speech...................................................20-42
• 3.1 Introduction...............................................................20
• 3.1.1 The Respiratory System...................................22
• The Phonatory System.....................................22
• 3.1.3 The Articulatory System...................................22
• 3.2 The Speech Organs....................................................23
• 3.2.1 The Lungs........................................................23
• 3.2.2 The Larynx and the Vocal Cords.....................24
• 3.2.3 The Glottis.......................................................27
• 3.2.4 The Pharynx.....................................................31
• 3.2.5 The Epiglottis...................................................31
• 3.2.6 The Roof of the Mouth/Hard Palate................31
• 3.2.7 The Soft Palate/Velum......................................32
• 3.2.8 The Uvula........................................................33
• 3.2.9 The Teeth.........................................................34
• 3.2.10 The Jaws........................................................34
• 3.2.11 The Tongue....................................................34
• 3.2.12 The Lips.........................................................37
• 3.2.13 The Nasal Cavity (Nose)................................38
• 3.3 Nomenclature of Speech Sounds after Articulators................................................................38
• 3.4 Active and Passive Articulators.................................39
• 4. Speech Sounds: Consonants.........................................43-74
• 4.1 English Sounds..........................................................43
• 4.2 Vowels and Consonants............................................44
• 4.3 The Description and Classification of Consonants....45
• 4.3.1 The Nature of Airstream Mechanism..............45
• 4.3.2 The Position of the Soft-palate.........................46
• 4.3.3 The State of the Glottis....................................47
• 4.3.4 The Point or Place of Articulation (POA)........48
• 4.3.4.1 Bilabial...............................................50
• 4.3.4.2 Labiodental........................................50
• 4.3.4.3 Dental................................................51
• 4.3.4.4 Alveolar..............................................51
• 4.3.4.5 Post-alveolar.......................................51
• 4.3.4.6 Palato-alveolar...................................52
• 4.3.4.7 Palatal................................................52
• 4.3.4.8 Velar...................................................52
• 4.3.4.9 Glottal................................................53
• 4.3.4.10 Retroflex............................................53
• 4.3.4.11 Uvular................................................54
• 4.3.4.12 Pharyngeal/Pharyngal.........................54
• 4.3.4.13 Epiglottal............................................55
• 4.3.5 The Manner of Articulation (MOA)................55
• 4.3.5.1 Plosives...............................................58
• 4.3.5.2 Affricates............................................60
• 4.3.5.3 Nasals................................................61
• 4.3.5.4 Trill/Roll.............................................63
• 4.3.5.5 Flap/Tap.............................................63
• 4.3.5.6 Lateral/Lateral Approximant..............63
• 4.3.5.7 Fricatives............................................64
• 4.3.5.8 Frictionless Continuant......................66
• 4.3.5.9 Semi-vowels/Approximants................67
• 4.4 The Chart of English Consonantal Phonemes...........69
• 4.5 The Three-term Label Description of English Consonants................................................................70
• 4.6 Consonantal Sounds in Various Words.....................71
• 5. Speech Sounds: Vowels.............................................75-106
• 5.1 The Description and Classification of Vowels...........75
• 5.1.1 The Position of the Soft-palate.........................77
• 5.1.2 The Part of the Tongue Raised........................77
• 5.1.3 The Height of the Tongue................................80
• 5.1.4 The Position of the Lips...................................81
• 5.2 The Three-term Label Description of Pure Vowels/Monophthongs..............................................81
• 5.3 Cardinal Vowels (CVs)..............................................87
• 5.4 Monophthongs and Diphthongs................................92
• 5.5 The Description of Diphthongs.................................96
• 5.6 Glides/Moving Vowels.............................................101
• 5.7 Triphthong...............................................................102
• 5.8 Vowel Sounds in Various Words.............................104
• 6. Phonology................................................................107-131
• 6.1 What is Phonology?................................................107
• 6.2 Phonetics and Phonology........................................108
• 6.3 Some Major Concepts of Phonology.......................109
• 6.3.1 Phone.............................................................109
• 6.3.2 Phoneme.........................................................110
• 6.3.3 Allophone.......................................................111
• 6.3.4 How to Recognize Allophones?.....................112
• 6.4 The Principles of Phonemic Analysis/Discovery Procedures...............................................................114
• 6.4.1 The Principle of Contrastive Distribution......115
• 6.4.2 The Principle of Complementary Distribution...................................................116
• 6.4.3 The Principle of Free Variation......................117
• 6.4.4 The Principle of Phonetic Similarity...............118
• 6.4.5 The Principle of Pattern Congruity................119
• 6.4.6 The Principle of Economy..............................120
• 6.5 The Phoneme Theory..............................................120
• 6.5.1 Daniel Jones and the Phoneme.......................121
• 6.5.2 Jan Baudouin and the Phoneme.....................122
• 6.5.3 Edward Sapir and the Phoneme.....................123
• 6.5.4 Bloomfield and the Phoneme..........................124
• 6.5.5 Trubetzkoy and the Phoneme.........................125
• 6.6 Distinctive Features Theory.....................................126
• 6.7 Distinctive Features Theory: An Advancement of the Phoneme Theory...........................................129
• 6.7.1 Economy........................................................130
• 6.7.2 Better Generality............................................130
• 6.7.3 Empirical Evidence.........................................130
• 6.7.4 Naturalness....................................................130
• 6.7.5 Greater Explanatory Value.............................130
• 7. English Syllable Structure........................................132-169
• 7.1 Syllable....................................................................132
• 7.2 Division of Words into Syllables.............................133
• 7.3 The Structure of English Syllable............................134
• 7.4 Types of Syllable Structure in English/English
• Syllable Typology....................................................138
• 7.5 Consonant Cluster...................................................142
• 7.5.1 Initial Consonant Clusters..............................144
• 7.5.2 Final Consonant Clusters...............................146
• 7.6 Strong and Weak Syllable........................................155
• 7.7 Syllabic Consonants.................................................156
• 7.8 Elison or Slurring....................................................157
• 7.9 Vocoid and Contoid................................................157
• 7.10 International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).....................158
• 7.11 Standard Variety of English.....................................160
• 7.12 Received Pronunciation (RP)...................................160
• 7.13 Phonetic Transcription.............................................161
• 7.14 Supra-segmental Phoneme.......................................164
• 7.14.1 Stress Phonemes...........................................165
• 7.14.2 Pitch Phonemes............................................166
• 7.14.3 Juncture Phoneme........................................167
• 7.14.4 Intonation Phoneme.....................................168
• 8. Word-Stress Word-Accent........................................170-193
• 8.1 About Stress and Accent.........................................170
• 8.2 Word-Stress Pattern in English................................174
• 8.3 Rules of Accentual Pattern in English (Rules of English Word-Stress)................................175
• 8.4 Stress/Accent in Compound Words.........................182
• 8.5 Stress Shift...............................................................185
• 8.6 Accent and Rhythm in Connected Speech/ Sentence...................................................................185
• 8.7 Rhythm....................................................................187
• 8.8 Stress-timed Rhythm................................................188
• 8.9 Weak Forms in English...........................................189
• 9. Intonation.................................................................194-205
• 9.1 Intonation and its Types..........................................194
• 9.2 Determining Factors of Intonation..........................196
• 9.2.1 Tone-Group/Breath-Group/Sense-Group.........197
• 9.2.2 Tonic Syllable (TS).........................................198
• 9.2.3 Constituents of Tone-Group/Tone-Unit..........199
• 9.3 Tone and their Functions.........................................200
• 9.3.1 Falling Tone...................................................201
• 9.3.2 Rising Tone....................................................202
• 9.3.3 Falling-Rising Tone........................................203
• 9.3.4 Rising-Falling Tone........................................204
• 9.4 Fall+Rise..................................................................204
• 10. Exercises.............................................................206-225
• 11. Key to Exercises..................................................226-248
• 12. Unsolved Exercises (Descriptive Questions)........249-251
• 13. Select Bibliography.............................................252-254
• 14. Index..................................................................255-269