Phonetics Basics: How to Read and Understand Phonetic Transcription
Phonetic Terminology
Before we move on to the phonetic alphabet, some basic phonetic concepts need to be clarified. Phonetics distinguishes between different places and types of articulation. You absolutely must know these to understand the phonetic alphabet. So, first, review the technical terms of phonetics and then move on to the phonetic alphabet.
Types of Articulation
1. Plosives (stop sounds)
In plosives, the airflow is completely blocked and then suddenly released. This produces an explosive sound. Examples include the German /p/ sound in "Papa," /t/ in "Tisch," and /k/ in "Kuchen." The blocking is combined with the place of articulation (e.g., bilabial, alveolar, velar).
2. Fricatives (friction sounds)
In fricatives, the airflow is partially blocked, so that it flows through the narrow opening with friction. This produces a rushing sound. Examples are the English sound /f/ in "fun," /s/ in "snake," and /ʃ/ in "shoe." The blockage occurs when the speech organs (e.g., lips, tongue) are brought close to the place of articulation.
3. Affricates
Affricates are combinations of a plosive and a fricative. The sound begins with a plosive, followed by a short fricative. An example is the German sound /pf/ in "Pfanne" (pan) and /ts/ in "Zitrone" (lemon). These combinations produce a two-part sound.
4. Nasal
With nasal sounds, the airflow is directed through the nose instead of the mouth. The tongue blocks the oral cavity, while the soft palate opens the nasal cavity. Examples are the English sound /n/ in "nice" and the French sound /m/ in "maison".
Places of Articulation in the Mouth
Bilabial
In bilabial sounds, the two lips touch. An example is the German sound /p/ in "Papa".
Labiodental
In this process, the airflow is directed between the upper teeth and the lower lip. An example is the English sound /f/ in "fun".
Interdental
The tongue goes between the teeth. An example is the English sound /θ/ in "think".
Alveolar
The tongue is pressed against the front part of the alveoli (the tooth ridge). An example is the German sound /t/ in "Tisch" (table).
Palatal
The tongue moves towards the hard palate (palate). An example is the English sound /ʃ/ in "shoe".
Velar
The tongue is pressed against the back of the palate (velum). An example is the German sound /k/ in "Kuchen" (cake).
Uvular
The tongue moves towards the uvula. This sound is not very common in German, but it does occur in some dialects, for example.
Glottal
In this condition, the airflow in the throat is obstructed by the glottis. An example is the English sound /h/ in "hat".
The Phonetic Alphabet
The internationally recognized phonetic alphabet, or IPA, is frequently used for transliteration. This alphabet contains the sounds of languages from around the world. It covers a broad spectrum of sounds, making the IPA a universal phonetic alphabet that can be used for most languages.
Below you can see the phonetic alphabet of the IPA:
| Phonetic Transcription | Explanation with Example Word |
| [i] | high front vowel, as in "sie" |
| [e] | mid-high front vowel, as in "bed" |
| [a] | open front vowel, as in "cat" |
| [O] | mid-high back vowel, as in "Boot" |
The Vowels of the Phonetic Alphabet
| Phonetic Transcription | Explanation with Example Word |
| [i] | high front vowel, as in "sie" |
| [e] | mid-high front vowel, as in "bed" |
| [a] | open front vowel, as in "cat" |
| [O] | mid-high back vowel, as in "Boot" |
| [u] | high back vowel, as in "du" |
Consonants of the Phonetic Alphabet
| Phonetic Transcription | Explanation with Example Word |
| [p] | voiceless bilabial plosive, as in "Papa" |
| [b] | voiced bilabial plosive, as in "Baby" |
| [t] | voiceless alveolar plosive, as in "table" |
| [t] | voiced alveolar plosive, as in "Dach" |
| [k] | voiceless velar plosive, as in "cat" |
| [g] | voiced velar plosive, as in "Garten" |
| [m] | bilabial nasal, as in "Mama" |
| [n] | alveolar nasal, as in "nose" |
| [ŋ] | velar nasal, as in "Lang" |
| [f] | voiceless labiodental fricative, as in "river" |
| [v] | voiced labiodental fricative, as in "Vogel" |
| [s] | voiceless alveolar fricative, as in "Sonne" |
| [z] | voiced alveolar fricative, as in "Zahn" |
| [ʃ] | voiceless postalveolar fricative, as in "shock" |
| [ʒ] | voiced postalveolar fricative, as in "genius" |
| [h] | voiceless glottal fricative, as in "Haus" |
| [ʔ] | glottal stop, like in English "uh-oh" |
| Phonetic transcription | Explanation with Example Word |
| [ʁ] | Voiced uvular fricative, as in "Rasen" |
| [j] | Palatal approximant, as in "Yes" |
| [w] | Labiovelar approximant, as in "World" |
| [l] | Alveolar approximant, as in "light" |
| [ʋ] | Labiodental approximant, as in some pronunciations of "world" |
Phonetic Transcription in Different Languages
The purpose of phonetic transcription, as already explained, is to represent the pronunciation of a language in writing. The individual components of the phonetic alphabet represent sounds that are independent of languages.
Some sounds can exist in different languages, but they can be pronounced slightly differently. Therefore, the way a particular sound is represented in phonetic transcription can vary depending on the specific language.
Let's look at some example words in the phonetic transcriptions of English, Spanish, German, and French .
English Phonetic Transcription
| Cat | [kæt] |
| Telephone | [ˈtɛlɪˌfoʊn] |
| Water | [ˈwɔtər] |
| Language | [ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ] |
| Beautiful | [ˈbjuːtəfəl] |
Spanish Phonetic Transcription
| Gato | [ˈɡato] |
| Telephone | [teˈlefono] |
| Water | [ˈaɡwa] |
| Idioma | [iˈðjoma] |
| Hermoso | [erˈmoso] |
German Phonetic Transcription
| Cat | [ˈkat͡sə] |
| Phone | [ˈtɛləˌfoːn] |
| Water | [ˈvasər] |
| Language | [ˈʃpraːçə] |
| Nice | [ʃøːn] |
French Phonetic Transcription
| Chat | [ʃa] |
| Telephone | [telefɔn] |
| Eau | [O] |
| Langue | [lɑ̃ɡ] |
| Beau | [bo] |
Phonetics or Phonology: These are the differences
Phonetics and phonology are two very closely related fields of linguistics. Phonetics deals with concrete sounds and how they are produced, while phonology focuses on the abstract patterns and rules by which these sounds are organized in a language to create differences in meaning.
The Advantages of Spoken Language in Language Learning
Learning spoken language and the phonetic alphabet will particularly help you improve your pronunciation. Below you will find the main benefits of learning spoken language.
Precise pronunciation: Spoken language allows you to reproduce the pronunciation of a foreign word as accurately as possible. This is particularly helpful in languages whose pronunciation differs significantly from your native language.
Phonetic sensitivity: Phonetics is an important component of learning a foreign language. In phonetics, you learn how sounds are formed. A better understanding of phonology helps with learning pronunciation. Without phonetic knowledge, you wouldn't be understood when speaking your target language.
Improve pronunciation: Phonetic transcription helps to minimize misunderstandings and incorrect pronunciations by providing clear visual cues for the correct articulation of sounds.
Accent reduction: Learning phonetics is recommended even at very advanced language levels, up to C1 level. Practicing spoken language will help you reduce your accent and develop clearer and more precise pronunciation.
Learning dialects: Learning dialects and accents, as well as regional language differences, is also ideally suited for the C1 language level. Knowledge of phonetics and the phonetic alphabet will help you understand and learn dialects.
Independent learning: With the help of phonetics, you can learn the pronunciation of your target language on your own. You don't necessarily need the help of a native speaker to understand how an unfamiliar word is pronounced.
