Difference between Phonetics & Phonology

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Difference between Phonetics & Phonology

Rozina Qureshi

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What is Linguistics
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Difference between Phonetics and Phonology

Kursovaya
Phonetics and phonology are two important intra-disciplinary branches of linguistics. Though By Yasemin Allen
closely interlinked and serving the same purpose, i.e. dedicated to the study of human speech
sounds and sound structures, phonetics  and phonology  differ from each other to an extent
Phonology-phonetics interface – to
that each has been given a separate disciplinary status.
appear in Oxford Bibliographies in
Linguistics, 8/13 1 INTERFACE BETW
Some of the most prominent differences  between  phonetics and phonology can be elaborated
By Marie Huffman
as follows:

• Descriptive vs. Theoretical: Phonetics is a subfield of descriptive linguistics while A Glossory of Phonology by Philip Ca
 phonology is an area of theoretical linguistics. By Exceptional Opu

• Major Field vs. Sub-discipline: inguists often consider phonology a ma!or field of 
WHAT IS PHONOLOGY
linguistics. "hile, on the other hand, phonetics is regarded as a subfield placed under 
By Heena Vora
 phonology as shown in the diagram below:

•    Phonological nalysis vs. Further Studies: Phonetics is the basis for phonological
analysis. #n the other hand, phonology is the basis for further work in morphology,
syntax, discourse, and orthography design.
    !eneral Speech Sounds vs. Particular Sound Pattern nalysis: Phonetics $the
Difference between Phonetics & Phonology
•
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study of the physical aspects of sound% analy&es the production of all human speech
sounds, regardless of any language it is dealing with. "hile, phonology analyses the
sound patterns of a particular language by determining which  phonetic  sounds are
significant, and explaining how these sounds are interpreted by the native speaker.
•    "oncrete vs. bstract: Phonetics discusses the physical characteristics of speech
sounds or signs, especially, their physiological production, acoustic properties, auditory
 perception and neurophysiological status. Phonology is primarily concerned with the
abstract, grammatical characteri&ation of systems of sounds or signs.
•    udible Sounds vs. Their  Meanings: Phonetics is strictly about audible sounds

and the things that happen in our mouth, throat, nasal and sinus cavities, and the lungs to

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make these sounds. 't has nothing to do with meaning. 't is only description. Phonology,
on the other hand, is both physical as well as meaningful. 't explores the differences
 between the sounds in a language that change the meaning of an utterance.
•    #i$ited vs. %ide Scope: Phonetics only asks, ()oes this sound go here or not*+
Phonology asks, ()oes the meaning change if this sound is put here instead of that one*+
•   For$ vs. Function: Phonetics is concerned with the form, i.e. the physical
 properties of sounds. Phonology, on the other hand, is concerned with the function, i.e.
the differences and similarities of sounds.
•    Parole vs. #angue: The linguistic term parole is the concern of  phoneticians
while langue is studied by phonologists.
•    &niversal vs. #anguage Specific: Phonetics deals with the universal phenomenon
of human speech sounds. Phonology, on the other hand, is language specific.
•   Phone vs. Phone$e: 'n phonetics, the smallest structural unit is a phone. 'n
 phonology, on the other hand, the minimal meaningful unit is called a phoneme.
•    Phone vs. llophone: very language consists of speech sounds called phones.

Phonetics is concerned with phones in general. Phonology, on the other hand, describes
 phones as allophones of phonemes.
•    Phonetic vs. Phone$ic Transcription: Phonetics deals with the phonetic
transcription of speech sounds. Phonology, on the other hand, deals with the phonemic
transcription of speech sounds.
•    S'uare (rac)ets vs. Slanted (rac)ets: 'n phonetic transcription, s/uare brackets
are used to enclose transcribed symbols. 'n phonemic transcription, on the other hand,
slashes are used for the same purpose.
•    Speech ct vs. #anguage Syste$: Phonetics is concerned with the speech act.
Phonology, on the other hand, is concerned with the language system.
•    "ontinuous vs. Discrete *ntity: Phonetics is the domain of the continuous, while
 phonology is the domain of discrete entity.
•   !radient vs. "ategorical: Phonetics is gradient while phonology is categorical.
•    Phonetics in Phonology vs. Phonology in Phonetics: )uring their interaction,
when phonetics affects phonology, the phonetics effects and constraints are reflected in
the phonology. This is referred to as naturalness. #n the other hand, when phonology
affects phonetics, it results in the mapping between the units of phonology and their 
 physical reali&ation.

•    +ndividuality vs. +nterrelationship of Sounds: Phonetic transcription depends

simply on the pronunciation of each individual sound regardless of its function in the
sound system of the given language, whereas phonemic transcription depends upon the
interrelationship of sounds in each particular language.
•    +dentification vs. +nterpretation of Sounds: Phonetics studies which sounds are
 present in a language. Phonology, on the other hand, studies how these sounds combine
 and how they change in combination, as well as which sounds can contrast to produce
Difference between Phonetics & Phonology
differences in meaning.
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• 

  Phonetic vs. Phone$ic Features: Phonetic features whose presence or absence can
alter meaning are called phonemic features. #n the other hand, adding or subtracting a
 phonemic feature normally results in a change of meaning as well as in a change in
 pronunciation.
•    Predictability vs. &npredictability of Features: The occurrence of certain
 phonetic features is entirely predictable in phonetic environment, called redundant
 phonetic features, as is the case in nglish with voicing or sonorants, nasality of vowels,
or length in vowels. #n the other hand, the presence of a phonemic feature is not
 predictable according to phonetic context.
•    Phonetic Sy$bols vs. Phone$ic Sy$bols: The symbols of phonetic alphabet are
universal. #n the other hand, phonemic symbols are a type of phonetic shorthand with

specific value for a particular sound in a language.

•    Mar)ing vs. +gnoring Phonetic Detail: Phonetic transcription, enclosed in s/uare
 brackets, attempts to express as much phonetic detail as possible, redundant or otherwise0
 phonemic transcription does not mark redundant features, but rather is intended to
represent only those phonetic details of a given language that are distinctive.
•    ,ne for ne vs. ,ne for Several: 'n phonetics, a phonetic symbol stands for 
one and the same sound regardless of language, but a phonemic symbol often stands for 
any one of the several actual sounds.
•    */a$ples: et us take an example of the word (bed+. Phonetics is concerned with
its physical production, acoustic properties, and its physiological status. #n the other 
hand, phonologists take the word (bed+ differently. They say the word (bet+ is very

similar to the word (bed+ in terms of the physical manifestation of sounds. The only
difference is that at the end of (bet,+ the vocal chords stop vibrating so that sound is a
result only of the placement of the tongue behind the teeth and the flow of air. 1owever,

the meanings of the two words are not related in the least. "hat a vast difference a

muscle makes2 This is the biggest distinction between phonetics and phonology, although
 phonologists analy&e a lot more than !ust the obvious differences.