Phonetic Transcription
The IPA representation in writing the sounds, words, phrases, and sentences of any language of the world is called Phonetic Transcription. It is a device in which we use several symbols in such a way that one symbol always represents one sound. It is also known as Phonetic Notation. There are two types of Phonetic Transcription:
a. The Broad or Phonemic Transcription
A broad phonetic transcription (Phonemic Transcription) is the transcription of the phonemes of a language. Phonemic Transcriptions are enclosed within slant bars / / e.g. English words ‘eat’ and ‘tea’ can be transcribed as /i:t/, /ti:/ respectively.
b. The Narrow or Allophonic Transcription
The narrow transcription also called allophonic transcription indicates the precise phonetic quality of each segment. A pair of square brackets [ ] indicates an allophonic transcription. In this type of transcription the aspirated variety of /t/ as in the word ‘tea’ can be indicated by transcribing the word as [thi:].
A number of phonetic transcriptions have been evolved. But the most well known are Daniel Jones’ system (Received Pronunciation) & A. C. Gimson’s system (An Introduction to Pronunciation.
The difference between Jones’ and Gimson’s system is not wide. In the representation of consonants, both do not make difference. It is only in the case of certain vowel sounds that they use different symbols e.g.
Gimson /ɒ/ Jones /ɔ/ = dog
Gimson /eə/ Jones /e3/ = air
Gimson /aƱ/ Jones /au/ = out
Gimson /əƱ/ Jones /əu/ = know
A. PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION OF CONSONANTS
1. /p/ pin, spin, ship
2. /b/ bit, clubs, hub
3. /t/ tea, stone, lit
4. /d/ day, heads, lid
5. /k/ key, sky, talk
6. /g/ go, eggs, bag
7. /f/ fan, sphere, half
8. /v/ view, thieves, live
9. /θ/ thin, bath, cloth
10. /ð/ then, the, clothe
11. /s/ sit, taste, loss
12. /z/ zoo, music, lose
13. /∫/ ship, wished, fresh
14. /ʒ/ pleasure, rouge / rƱ:ʒ /
15. /h/ hat, behave
16. /t∫/ chain, catch, teach
17. /dʒ/ jail, barged, large
18. /m/ main, small, sum
19. /n/ name, snake, shine
20. /ŋ/ bring, ring
21. / l / late, slate, tell
22. /j/ yes, tune
23. /w/ win, swim
24. /r/ run, shrewd
B. PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION OF VOWELS
i. Monothongs
1. / i:/ feel, need, seat
2. /I/ fill, sit, it
3. /e/ fell, bed, set
4. /ɔ:/ fall, board, door
5. /Ʊ/ full, good
6. /æ/ cat, and
7. /a:/ cart, arm
8. /ʌ/ bud, cut
9. /ɒ/ cot, lot, god
10. /Ʊ:/ fool, boot
11. /3:/ curt, bird, earn
12. /ə/ against, ago (SCHWA)
ii. Dipthongs
1. /aI/ file, time, tile
2. /eI/ fail, late, tail
3. /ɔI/ foil, boy, toil
4. /aƱ/ foul, now, town
5. /əƱ/ road, tone, go
6. /Iə/ here, fear, ear
7. /eə/ hare, there, air
8. /Ʊə/ tour, poor
iii. Triphthongs
(i) /eɪə /: player /pleɪər/, prayer: /prɪər/
(ii) /aɪə/: fire /faɪər/, drier: /draɪər/
(iii) /ɔɪə/: loyal /lɔɪəl/, royal: /rɔɪəl/
(iv) /əƱə/: slower /sləƱər/, mower: /məƱər/
(v) /aƱə/: towel /taƱəl/, flower: /flaƱər/
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