Phonemes, Pronunciation, and Speech Production

• Define phonemes and explain their role in pronunciation.

• Differentiate between accents and dialects with examples.

• Explain how speech sounds are produced (articulatory phonetics).

​

​Objetives:

​Introductions to Phonemes and pronunciation

​Definition: A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound that can change meaning in a word.
📌 Example: /p/ vs. /b/ in pat vs. bat English has 44 phonemes: 24 consonants and 20 vowels.

Phonemic transcription uses IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet)

​What is an accent?

• An accent is how words are pronounced based on region or social background.

• Example: American vs. British pronunciation

  • Water → 🇬🇧 /ˈwɔːtə/ vs. 🇺🇸 /ˈwɑːtɚ/

  • Schedule → 🇬🇧 /ˈʃedjuːl/ vs. 🇺🇸 /ˈskedʒuːl/

​What is a Dialect?

• A dialect includes pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.

• Example:

  • British English (Standard) → "I have got a new book."

  • Scottish English (Dialect) → "Ah've got a new book."