Phonetics For Dummies

by William F. Katz

The clear and easy way to get a handle on the science of speechThe science of how people produce and perceive speech, phonetics has an array of real-world applications, from helping engineers create an authentic sounding Irish or Canadian accent for a GPS voice, to assisting forensics investigators identifying the person whose voice was caught on tape, to helping a film actor make the transition to the stage. Phonetics is a required course among students of speech pathology and linguistics, and it's a popular elective among students of telecommunications and forensics. The first popular guide to this fascinating discipline, "Phonetics For Dummies" is an excellent overview of the field for students enrolled in introductory phonetics courses and an ideal introduction for anyone with an interest in the field.

Bonus instructional videos, video quizzes, and other content available online for download on the dummies.com product page for this book.

Genres: Linguistics, Language, Nonfiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lively phonetics refresher which redefines technical terms in each chapter, instead of expecting you to remember.

[Juan Barrera Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is the funniest book I’ve ever read. And technical concepts are explained very clearly.

[Mary Cochrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well organized refresher or introduction to phonetics. I found this one at my local public library to help fill in the gaps when I took an undergraduate phonetics class as a prerequisite for a master's in speech-language pathology. Most of the other students had had a linguistics class, but since my bachelor's was in psychology, I hadn't had linguistics as a requirement. It helped fill in the linguistics gaps as well as give some excellent alternative explanations and examples for phonetics to back up my instructor. I highly recommend this for a thorough phonetics introduction.