# Introducing: phonetics

What is phonetics? As our friendly overlord Google will tell you:

##### phonetics

##### /fəˈnɛtɪks/

##### noun

1. ##### the study and classification of speech sounds.

   ##### "a phonetics laboratory"

Study and classification of speech sounds, eh? Well, you know what study, speech, and sounds mean, while in classification you may recognise the word class. Just view classification as 'putting things in groups', in this case are these things 'sounds'. So phonetics is looking at speech sounds and putting those sounds into groups. Sounds clear enough, right? And just like some languages have different letters, languages have different phonemes as well, even within English languages. We will use British English, but American, Australian, Canadian English will all have (slightly) different phonemes..

Time for the next new word: phonemes. Well, let me just put that into words for you: it's time for you to watch the second clip.

Intro https://youtu.be/JLcz4fsO9CA?hd=1

Phonemes https://youtu.be/OwNABV07K1s?hd=1

There's two important ways that tell you more about how you have to articulate a phoneme: manner and place. Throughout the next weeks we will spend time on this until you can recognise how this knowledge will help you out with your articulation.

Manner of articulation

plosive | strong = /p/, /t/, /k/ weak = /b/, /d/, /g/
affricate | strong = /ʧ/ weak = /ʤ/
fricative | strong = /f/, /θ/, /s/, /ʃ/ weak = /v/, /ð/, /z/, /3/
nasal | weak = /m/, /n/, /ŋ /
lateral | weak = /l/
approximant | weak = /r/, /j/, /w/

Place of articulation

From left to right: bilabial, labio-dental, dental, alveolar, post-alveolar, palato-alveolar, palatal, velar, uvular, glottal.

Next week we'll discuss which letters go where in the mouth.