articulatory phonetics

The branch of PHONETICS which studies the way in which speech sounds are made (‘articulated’) by the VOCAL ORGANS. It derives much of its descriptive terminology from the fields of anatomy and physiology, and is sometimes referred to as physiological phonetics. This area has traditionally held central place in the training of phoneticians, the movements involved being reasonably accessible to observation and, in principle, under the control of the investigator. The classification of sounds used in the INTERNATIONAL PHONETIC ALPHABET, for example, is based on articulatory variables. In recent years, there has been much progress in the development of instrumental techniques for observing and measuring such factors as TONGUE, LIP, PALATE and VOCAL FOLD movement; examples include the palatograph, which displays tongue contact with the palate; the electro-aerometer, which measures the relative flow of air from mouth and nose; the ARTICULOMETER, which tracks simultaneously the movements of several articulators; and ELECTROMYOGRAPHY, for the measurement of muscular movement while speaking. Using such techniques, a far more detailed understanding of articulation is possible than using traditional visual and kinaesthetic methods.