The Sounds of Language: An Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology

by Elizabeth C Zsiga

The fully updated, new edition of the bestselling introduction to phonetics and phonology The Sounds of Language presents a comprehensive introduction to both the physical and cognitive aspects of speech sounds. Assuming no prior knowledge of phonetics or phonology, this student-friendly textbook clearly explains fundamental concepts and theories, describes key phonetic and phonological phenomena, explores the history and intersection of the two fields, offers practical advice on collecting and reading data, and more. Twenty-four concise chapters, written in non-technical language, are organized into six sections that each focus on a particular Articulatory Phonetics, Acoustic Phonetics, Segmental Phonology, Suprasegmental Phonology, the Phonology/Morphology Interface, and Variation and Change. The book's flexible modular approach allows instructors to easily choose, re-order, combine, or skip sections to meet the needs of one- and two-semester courses of varying levels. Now in its second edition, The Sounds of Language contains updated references, new problem sets, new examples, and links to new online material. The new edition features new chapters on Lexical Phonology; Word Structure and Sound Structure; and Variation, Probability, and Phonological Theory. Chapters on Sociolinguistic Variation, Child Language Acquisition, and Adult Language Learning have also been extensively updated and revised. Offering uniquely broad and balanced coverage of the theory and practice of two major branches of linguistics, The Sounds of Covers a wide range of topics in phonetics and phonology, from the anatomy of the vocal tract to the cognitive processes behind the comprehension of speech sounds Features critical reviews of different approaches that have been used to address phonetics and phonology problems Integrates data on sociolinguistic variation, first language acquisition, and second language learning Surveys key phonological theories, common phonological processes, and computational techniques for speech analysis Contains numerous exercises and progressively challenging problem sets that allow students to practice data analysis and hypothesis testing Includes access to a companion website with additional exercises, sound files, and other supporting resources The Sounds of An Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology, Second Edition, remains the ideal textbook for undergraduate and beginning graduate classes on phonology and phonetics, as well as related courses in linguistics, applied linguistics, speech science, language acquisition, and cognitive science programs.

640 pages, Paperback

Published March 18, 2024

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first and probably only book I'll read on general phonology, so I have no real basis on how good it is compared to other books on the same subject. I liked how well-rounded it is, but that also means it covered a lot of topics that didn't seem to pertain to the reason I picked it up in the first place, which is so I could read Don Ringe's series on the linguistic history of English and JP Mallory's Introduction To Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European World. Being "self taught", things kind of turn into a web of interconnectedness that one doesn't realize will happen at the outset of the learning journey. I just wanted to learn about Old English, and as my interest became deeper, I didn't think I'd get so deep into phonology and morphology just so I could understand a couple books on historical linguistics just so I could understand Old English just so I could be good at a hobby I enjoy. Whew.

Hopefully this book will have made THOSE books easier to comprehend.