Describing Spoken English provides a practical and descriptive introduction to the pronunciation of contemporary English. It presumes no prior knowledge of phonetics and phonology.
Charles Kreidler describes the principal varieties of English in the world today. Whilst concentrating on the phonological elements they share, the author sets out specific differences as minor variations on a theme. Although theoretically orientated towards generative phonology, theory is minimal and the book is clear, comprehensive and accessible to undergraduate and postgraduate students of linguistics and English Language. Numerous exercises are included to encourage further study.

The terminology used in linguistics can be confusing for those encountering the subject for the first time. This dictionary provides accessible and authoritative explanations of the terms and concepts currently in use in all the major areas of language and linguistics, (pronunciation, word structure, sentence structure, meaning) as well as in the study of the social, anthropological, psychological and neurological aspects of language. Entries are clear and unambiguous, and helpful examples are used to clarify where appropriate. Particular attention is given to the terminology of traditional grammar. There are entries for the names of major language families, and there are also brief biographical entries for the major figures in the field, past and present. An extensive cross-referencing system makes the book easy to use: an invaluable annotated bibliography of texts on linguistics makes it an ideal guide for everyone beginning the study of language and linguistics.

In this activity-based text, Rebecca Hughes invites the reader to examine the differences between spoken and written English. Instead of presenting a bewildering array of 'facts' about variety in English, she encourages the reader to actively investigate the differences between these two modes of communication by comparing actual speech patterns with literary ones. This indispensable guide to the basic methods of analysis provides both an overview of the relationship between speech and writing and an introduction to a central theoretical issue in language studies. By the end of the book, readers will have had the opportunity to consider material from an extensive selection of spoken and written varieties - including boxing commentaries, detective novels and film scripts - while being encouraged to formulate their own opinions with regard to lexis and structure. In addition, the tasks that have been incorporated into the end of every chapter provide suggestions for further self-study and follow-up work.

This volume contains the revised texts of papers given at the Nordic Prosody XI conference that was held at the University of Tartu, Estonia, in August 2012. The 42 contributions deal mainly with the prosody of Scandinavian and Finno-Ugric languages, but also of some other languages spoken within and even beyond the Baltic Sea area. The three languages that receive most attention are Swedish, Finnish and Estonian. The themes cover a wide array of aspects of prosodic research from phonetic and phonological analyses of stress, word accents, quantity, intonation and rhythm to the study of discourse functions of prosody, neurophysiological processing of prosodic features, prosodic transfer in second language acquisition, sign language prosody, and emotional and multimodal facets of prosody.

This book discusses the phonology of glides and nasals in Polish and English on the basis of spelling and pronunciation errors. The aim of this study is to show the relatedness between spelling and pronunciation errors and the phonological systems of both languages in Standard Generative Phonology and Optimality Theory. The rule-based phonology, where the intricacies of gliding and nasalization are resolved by the application of fully productive rules, gives a coherent analysis of the investigated data corpus. Similarly, the constraint-based phonology, where the solution is offered by the system of universal constraints, successfully accounts for the examined phenomena. However, for generalizations concerning the insertion of the back glide, Standard Optimality Theory does not provide conclusive results. This study proves that the introduction of a two-level evaluation, as envisaged by Derivational Optimality Theory, satisfactorily handles the ongoing changes.

Combining a variety of sounds to form words that can be understood by other individuals, language is one of the defining characteristics of the human species. However, since even highly educated people, great writers, and poets are not consistent regarding the meanings of words, we are unlikely to find consistent rules regarding word meanings by examining human language use. Therefore, deep semantics aims to study of the meanings of individual sounds and their role in creating the meanings of words. Deep Semantics and the Evolution of New Scientific Theories and Discoveries provides innovative insights into the mental processing of word meanings and lack of consistency in human use, while providing examples from different language sources such as, the Quran and Arabic text. This publication presents word roots, the human cognitive system, sound function, and knowledge process, and is designed for linguists, educators, speech professionals, researchers, students, and academics whose interests include topics on the study of people's imperfect views, feelings, and habits in using words.

The Routledge Handbook of Phonological Theory provides a comprehensive overview of the major contemporary approaches to phonology. Phonology is frequently defined as the systematic organisation of the sounds of human language. For some, this includes aspects of both the surface phonetics together with systematic structural properties of the sound system; for others, phonology is seen as distinct from, and autonomous from, phonetics. The Routledge Handbook of Phonological Theory surveys the differing ways in which phonology is viewed, with a focus on current approaches to phonology. Divided into two parts, this handbook: covers major conceptual frameworks within phonology, including: rule-based phonology; Optimality Theory; Government Phonology; Dependency Phonology; and connectionist approaches to generative phonology; explores the central issue of the relationship between phonetics and phonology; features 23 chapters written by leading academics from around the world. The Routledge Handbook of Phonological Theory is an authoritative survey of this key field in linguistics, and is essential reading for students studying phonology.

"Frontiers of Phonology" is a collection of essays that present a selective overview of trends in the linguistic analysis of sound structure. The essays are written by specialists from Europe, Canada and the USA and discuss issues from three broad areas of phonology: the nature and representation of phonological features; the role and structure of the skeletal tier and syllable structure; and the competing claims of derivational and declarative approaches to phonology.
The book provides a forum for lively discussion of important theoretical topics from various standpoints including metrical and autosegmental phonology, dependency phonology and declarative phonology. The contributors, who are protagonists of these different standpoints, compare notes and show the merits of their different approaches. The essays discussing derivational issues offer an excellent introduction to the area of constraints based phonology, and by covering the phonology of many languages the book provides an understanding of how human languages in general use sound.

Frontiers of Phonology is a collection of essays that present a selective overview of trends in the linguistic analysis of sound structure. The essays are written by specialists from Europe, Canada and the USA and discuss issues from three broad areas of phonology: the nature and representation of phonological features; the role and structure of the skeletal tier and syllable structure; and the competing claims of derivational and declarative approaches to phonology. The book provides a forum for lively discussion of important theoretical topics from various standpoints including metrical and autosegmental phonology, dependency phonology and declarative phonology. The contributors, who are protagonists of these different standpoints, compare notes and show the merits of their different approaches. The essays discussing derivational issues offer an excellent introduction to the area of constraints based phonology, and by covering the phonology of many languages the book provides an understanding of how human languages in general use sound.

Encompassing a formidable collection of short essays on phonetics, "Studies in General and English Phonetics" was compiled as a tribute to Professor J. D. O'Connor, one of the world's most renowned teachers and writers of phonetics in the English language.
The book's 38 articles bring together 45 of the most distinguished and respected names in the field of phonetics, and cover a wide range of fascinating topics in descriptive and experimental phonetics and phonology. Aside from familiar topics such as rhythm, intonation, pronunciation and lexicography, "Studies in General and English Phonetics" also addresses issues on the cutting edge of the field, including computer synthesized audio-communications, and procedures in forensic linguistics.
This volume will not only be of interest to readers concerned with linguistics and phonetics, but also to those concerned with the teaching of English as a foreign language and other fields. With its comprehensive, up-to-date bibliography, it will prove an invaluable text to all interested readers.

Covers the intersecting grammatical categories of modality, mood and aspect in spoken Arabic, focusing on features of the verb phrase in the Educated Spoken Arabic of Egypt and the Levant. Material has been selected from informal educated speech, drawn from the middle region of the Arab world.

Foundations of Speech Act Theory investigates the importance of speech act theory to the problem of meaning in linguistics and philosophy. The papers in this volume, written by respected philosophers and linguists, significantly advance standards of debate in this area.
Beginning with a detailed introduction to the individual contributors, this collection demonstrates the relevance of speech acts to semantic theory. It includes essays unified by the assumption that current pragmatic theories are not well equipped to analyse speech acts satisfactorily, and concludes with five studies which assess the relevance of speech act theory to the understanding of philosophical problems outside the area of philosophy of language.

The term Sino-Korean may refer to either the phonological system or vocabulary in Korean that is of Chinese origin. Along with the borrowing of Chinese characters, the Chinese readings of characters must also have been transmitted into Korean. A Study of Sino-Korean Phonology aims to contribute to the field of Sino-Korean phonology by re-examining the origin and layers of Sino-Korean pronunciations from a loanword phonology perspective. The central issues of this book include an ongoing discussion on the questions of which Chinese dialect Sino-Korean is based on and how the source form in Chinese was adapted into Korean. Last is an in-depth analysis of the layers of Sino-Korean.

The first edition of the Practical Orthography of African Languages was a best-seller and this and the following volume re-issues the second edition, in English and French. Originally published in 1930, it provided an invaluable solution to the problem of finding a practical and uniform method of writing African languages. The volume is bound with a small pamphlet which analyses the information on the Semitic and cushitic languages of Eritrea, Ethiopia and the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Related languages are grouped together into larger sections which have some linguistic significance. A further pamphlet, the Distribution of the Nilotic and Nilo-Hamitic Languages of Africa, describes the relationship between languages and dialects. For each language, data are given on locality, number of speakers, use for educational and religious purposes and the extent of vernacular literature. The linguistic material is set out in phonetic script with tone marks, though reference is made to current standard orthoraphies where these exist.

Originally published in 1940, this book was the result of 3 years' worth of phonetic research and analysis with the aim of laying foudnations for improved methods of teaching and ascertaining the most scientific basis for current orthography of the Kikuyu language of Kenya.

Success in mastering any language requires knowledge in speaking, reading, and writing the language. The speaking component requires the understanding and use of correct pronunciation, emphasis, and syntactic patterns. The written component requires mastery of the alphabet, spelling, and the ability to write, print, or type the pattern. Very early in the learning process, speakers of the English language become keenly aware of the language's lack of sound to symbol correspondence. To help speech/language researchers, media personnel, individuals learning English as a second language, and others interested in correct pronunciation, the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) was devised. Extensively class tested, this book offers a practical understanding approach to phonetics and the IPA in a workbook format. It will be welcomed by professionals, students, and trainees in the fields of communication science, communication disorders, speech pathology, and linguistics.

"Generative Phonology" offers an overview of the post-SPE theory of generative phonology and is suitable for linguists not specializing in phonology, who want to keep abreast of the latest developments in the subject. It deals with all the major trends in what has come to be known as "non-linear" phonology, including: particle phonology; dependancy phonology; government and charm phonology. Iggy Roca guides the reader through the developments of the various approaches, justifying their rationale against the background of SPE machinery, and providing the reader with the basic tools necessary to penetrate current problems and debates. This text aims to integrate the modules and proposals of what can seem a fragmentary field, into a cohesive body of living theory.

Generative phonology is a developing field of linguistics, and is producing both rival interpretations and models. This book provides a clear and accessible evaluation of the debate. It provides a detailed overview of the main models, revealing that they are often complimentary rather than contradictory, and how these can be interconnect and be used together to explore the subject.

Phonetics is the scientific study of sounds used in language- how the sounds are produced, how they are transferred from the speaker to the hearer and how they are heard and perceived. The Sounds of Language provides an accessible, general introduction to phonetics with a special emphasis on English. Focusing on the phonetics of English, the first section allows students to get an overall view of the subject. Two standard accents of English are presented- RP (Received Pronunciation), the standard accent of England, and GA (General American), the standard accent throughout much of North America. The discussion is arranged so that students can read only the RP or GA portions, if desired. Sixteen additional accents of English spoken around the world are also covered to provide students with wider international coverage.The author then moves on to introduce acoustics phonetics in an accessible manner for those without a science background. The last section of the book provides a detailed discussion of all aspects of speech with extensive examples from languages around the world.Containing student-friendly features such as extensive exercises for practising the sounds covered in each chapter; a glossary of technical terms; instructions on how to write phonetic symbols; the latest International Phonetic Alphabet chart and a detailed list of English consonantal variants, The Sounds of Language provides an excellent introduction to phonetics to students of linguistics and speech pathology and students of English as a second language.

Assessment in Second Language Pronunciation highlights the importance of pronunciation in the assessment of second language speaking proficiency. Leading researchers from around the world cover practical issues as well as theoretical principles, enabling the understanding and application of the theory involved in assessment in pronunciation. Key features of this book include: Examination of key criteria in pronunciation assessment, including intelligibility, comprehensibility and accentedness; Exploration of the impact of World Englishes and English as a Lingua Franca on pronunciation assessment; Evaluation of the validity and reliability of testing, including analysis of scoring methodologies; Discussion of current and future practice in assessing pronunciation via speech recognition technology. Assessment in Second Language Pronunciation is vital reading for students studying modules on pronunciation and language testing and assessment.

Finnish is one of the Finno-Ugrian family of languages, and being historically linked with Swedish, can be compared with that language, particularly in its vocabulary. There are about five million native speakers of the language and large Finnish-speaking minorities in Norway, Sweden, the USA and Canada. It is a morphologically rich language, which has 15 cases and a variety of finite and non-finite verbal categories. Its inflectional suffixes have a wide range of grammatical functions and a large number of derivational affixes, providing a productive source of word formation. It has a complex vowel system. This descriptive grammar explores many interesting details of Finnish syntax, morphology, phonology and lexicon, providing the linguist, for the first time in English, with the opportunity for cross-language comparisons and making this important language accessible to a wide range of theoretical and descriptive linguistic analysis. This book should be of interest to postgraduates and academics in linguistics and Nordic languages.

In this highly readable and thought-provoking book, Delia Chiaro explores the pragmatics of word play, using frameworks normally adopted in descriptive linguistics. Using examples from personally recorded conversations, she examines the structure of jokes, quips, riddles and asides. Chiaro explores degrees of conformity to and deviation from established conventions; the tellability' of jokes, and the interpretative role of the listener; the creative use of puns, word play and discourse. The emphasis in her analysis is on sociocultural contexts for the production and reception of jokes, and she examines the extent to which jokes are both universal in their appeal, and specific to a particular culture.

This impressive volume contains the edited proceedings of a symposium held in honor of Isabelle Y. Liberman, whose teaching and writings laid the foundation for contemporary views of reading disability. Her work has influenced ways of thinking about the nature of the problem and ways of working with children and adults who experience unusual difficulty in learning to read. The symposium covered four themes that were central to Dr. Liberman's research on reading acquisition and disability: the development of phonological awareness, the relationship between phonological awareness and success in learning to read and write, the investigation of other phonological processes associated with reading and writing performance, and the implications of current research on these matters for reading instruction. The text includes a paper on each topic, followed by commentaries which introduce additional research findings and theoretical considerations -- all by leading researchers in the field.

This is an attempt to view historical phonological change as an ongoing, recurrent process. The author sees like events occurring at all periods, a phenomenon which he considers is disguised by too great a reliance upon certain characteristics of the scholarly tradition. Thus he argues that those innovations arrived at by speakers of the English language many years ago are not in principle unlike those that can be seen to be happening today. Phonological mutations are, on the whole, not to be regarded as unique, novel, once only events. Speakers appear to present to speech sound materials, a limited set of evaluative and decoding perceptions, together with what would seem to be a finite number of innovation producing stratagems in response to their interpretation. It is stressed that this interpretation may itself be a direct product of the kinds of data selected for presentation in traditional handbooks and Jones notes the fact that phonological change is often "messy" and responsive to a highly tuned ability to perceive fine phonetic detail of a type which, by definition, rarely has the opportunity to surface in historical data sources.