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Phonemes: What they are, and what they are not
“Phoneme” is a term that will probably be familiar to some, but for others, welcome to the wonderful world of sounds!
If that seems a bit “off”, you're probably among the majority that think in terms of parts of speech. A phoneme isn't one, although it often gets wrongly assigned that classification.
A phoneme is a distinctive sound. Collectively, phonemes are the individual sounds used in a language. Those can vary from one language to another, but for purposes here, we'll be dealing with the US English language.
As you may have guessed, phonemes are somewhat related to the subject of phonics, which is a subset of a much larger subject, The Science of Reading. That title emphasizes the difference: Phonics is the study of how letters and combinations of letters are pronounced when reading.
In other words, phonics deals with written words, while phonetics is the study of speech.
Think of these as the smallest possible sounds used when speaking. Not a vowel or a consonant, or a letter at all. They're the most basic building blocks for shaping speech.
There are 44 basic phonemes in the English language, and only 32 letters of the alphabet. As this margin implies, different phonemes can be involved in the pronunciation of some letters.
What's more, when dealing with various English dialects, each may have several additional phonemes of its own. This is why a phoneme counter can come in handy, as it can be tricky to identify them all.
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
No, we are not talking about beer here.
The distinction between spoken and written language is vast enough to warrant an entirely separate alphabet to represent phonemes. This isn't an alphabet you would have studied in grade school, but it's important in translating orally communicated words to written language and vice-versa.
Each character consists of a lowercase or uppercase letter, combined with a diacritic like ā or digraph such as ǽ which are symbols that indicate the pronunciation.
It's likely you're familiar with these phonetic characters, as they're used in reference materials, like dictionaries and character maps you can access on your computer.
NOTE: Don't confuse the IPA with the equally useful NATO Phonetic Alphabet (NPA). That version, “Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, etc.” is used for clarity in spoken letter names, particularly in military radio communication.
Classifying Phonemes
Phonemes are created with various combinations of movements of your tongue, teeth and lips. The actions of those useful tools you're equipped with can be classified, making it easier to describe both the action and its effect.
The characteristics are identified as:
Voicing
- Voiced: The vocal chords are involved
- Voiceless: The vocal chords do not vibrate
Location of Articulation
- bilabial (both lips, as in p, b, m, and w)
- labiodental (teeth plus lips, as in f and v)
- dental or/aveolar (tongue behind or on the edge of teeth, as in t, s, and z)
- velar or palatal (roof of the mouth, as in k, g, and n)
Articulation Type
- stop or plosive (blocked, then released airflow, as in p, b, t, and k)
- fricative (friction caused by restricted airflow, as in f, v, s, z and “szh” as in judge)
- nasal (airflow passes through the nose, such as m or n)
- affricate (a stop followed by “szh”, as in chair or jar)
- glide or liquid (air flows smoothly, as in w or r)
Characteristics are generally notated in the order above. For example, “p” would be described as a Voiced, bilabial stop.
So, What's the Point?
By now, you're probably wondering why all of this matters in speaking and writing. The simple answer is, impact. Many of the words we use in US English take advantage of the roundness or sharpness of phonemes and patterns using phonemes to affect the tone or mood in a piece of writing.
“Marshmallow”, for example, is about as soft as it gets. “Pepper” is on the opposite end of the scale. “Pressure” starts with itself.
One area of writing where this can be extremely effective is in speech writing. When an orator steps up to the podium, he or she has a definite goal in mind. Using the right phonemes in the right places can make all the difference in making the crowd “feel” the speech.
Consider one of the world's best-known speeches, delivered by the late Martin Luther King, Junior. The title and the opening line of the speech: “I Have a Dream”. Just the right mix of power and hope. How about slogans: “Power to the People” definitely “packs a punch”. (See what I did there?)
How about titles? The Pirates of Penzance and Pirates of the Caribbean are two very different shows, but both titles demand attention. Pomp and Circumstance is a triumphant song that plays in your head as soon as you hear the title.
On the soft side, how about What Child is this, Mary, Did You Know or Silent Night? I'm sure you get the idea.
Creative writers can even leverage phonemes to give characters names with personality. In West Side Story, the male lead, Tony, is a hardened, former gang leader and his love interest, Maria, is a beautiful woman who happens to be the sister of a rival gang leader. Similar examples abound.
I could go on and on, but the point is, phonemes can add tension or project calm, as well as lend impact to your writing.
Closing Thoughts
Although we've tried to provide a good overview in this article, there's much more to be discovered about phonemes for those who want to explore.
Our phoneme counter will help provide more insights into specify words. We hope you'll find enough here to get you on the right path in recognizing them in speech and reading, and utilizing them in your own endeavors.