Chapter 5: Phonological structure: The Phoneme and its allophones.

Segmental
specification: Distinctive Features in various phono-logical theories
5.1. Individual sounds and classes of sounds. The phoneme and its
contrastive function
5.2. Allophones. Complementary distribution and free variation
5.3. The phonological idiosyncrasy of linguistic systems
5.4. Broad and narrow transcription
5.5. Segmental and suprasegmental phonemes
5.6. From the minimal unit of linguistic analysis to the bundle of
distinctive features
5.7. Jakobson and Halle’s feature system
5.8. Chomsky and Halle’s distinctive features
5.9. Ladefoged’s feature system
5.10. The use of features for segmental specification and for the
description of phonological processes

5.5. Segmental and suprasegmental phonemes

We have so far described the sounds of English, we tried to list some of their main
articulatory features, we even postulated the existence of classes of sounds that we called
phonemes and we discussed them in functional terms emphasizing their contrastive value.
But even when we talked about classes of sounds (phonemes) we considered them as
actually defining unique phonological units in spite of the phonetic variations displayed by
their respective members which we chose to ignore. We can say then that we analyzed
individual, separate segments, phonological units in isolation. The study of such segments
outside of a larger phonological context is the domain of segmental phonology. Many
changes undergone by sounds, many contrasts in language, many phonological processes,
actually take place or can be noticed at a higher level, a level that will involve sequences or
strings of sounds, or even of words and phrases. This will be the domain of suprasegmental
phonology and part of the following chapters will be devoted to a brief analysis of such
phenomena. Stress, rhythm, intonation are obviously such phonological realities that
manifest themselves at a suprasegmental level. Stress and intonation contours can even
have phonemic (contrastive) value since only difference in stress placement establishes the
distinction between envoy (the noun) and envoy (the verb). The same word, phrase or
sentence pronounced with different intonational contours could express surprise,
satisfaction, matter-of-factness. The last chapter of the book will discuss such cases in
further detail.