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Fundamentals of Phonetics: A Practical Guide for Students, 5th edition

Published by Pearson (January 22, 2019) © 2020

  • Larry H. Small

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For courses in phonetics and linguistics for speech and hearing students (communications sciences and disorders).

A clear, systematic, easy-to-understand introduction to phonetics principles and transcription

Fundamentals of Phonetics uses speech acoustics to introduce spectrograms and the acoustic characteristics of speech sounds. Students also learn how to transcribe (using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)) for individuals who display regional and ethnic dialectal variation of speech, along with English as a Second Language learners.

The 5th Edition is updated with current census data, a new section on the application of speech acoustics in clinical practice and more.

Hallmark features of this title

  • The easy-to-follow writing style is written with the novice in mind, helping introductory-level students gain a basic understanding of phonetics and phonetic transcription.
  • A wealth of transcription exercises give students numerous opportunities to practice transcribing speech using IPA.
  • An entire chapter on dialectical variation introduces differences in speech production focusing on regional and ethnic dialects (Ch. 9).
  • A large section devoted to individuals who are learning English as a second language and the differences between their languages and English.
  • Review exercises at the ends of chapters further text comprehension.

New and updated features of this title

  • NEW: New artwork for all of the anatomical figures provides a more concise visual representation of the speech mechanism (Ch. 3).
  • NEW: Chapter summaries provide a concise recap of the major topics presented in each chapter.
  • NEW: A new section on the application of speech acoustics in clinical practice has been added to Chapter 6, “Acoustic Characteristics of Vowels and Consonants” to highlight the importance of the study of speech acoustics in practice.
  • NEW: New material on key concepts in phonetic transcription has been added to Chapter 2, “Phonetic Transcription of Speech,” including an expanded section on spelling versus sound and additional information relating to consonant and vowel patterns in syllables.
  • UPDATED: Exercises embedded throughout the text help promote understanding of the material throughout.
  • UPDATED: Redrawn tables throughout the text make the concepts presented even easier for students to understand. Online Resources provide additional learning opportunities outside of the textbook. Clear learning objectives at the beginning of each chapter clarify learning expectations. Current census data relative to the population demographics of the US is included to keep students up to date on dialectical variation.
  1. Phonetics: A “Sound” Science
  2. Phonetic Transcription of English
  3. Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech Mechanism
  4. Vowels
  5. Consonants
  6. Acoustic Characteristics of Vowels and Consonants
  7. Connected Speech
  8. Transcription of Speech Sound Disorders
  9. Dialectal Variation

About our author

Larry H. Small received both a BS in Speech Pathology and Audiology (1977), and an MA in Audiology (1977) from Kent State University. He received his PhD in Speech and Hearing Science from Ohio University in 1984. He worked as a clinical audiologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha from 1978 to 1980. Dr. Small joined the faculty of Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in 1984 and remained on the faculty for 24 years, prior to his retirement in 2008 when he was named Associate Professor Emeritus. While at BGSU, he served as the Director of the University Honors Program (1991 to 1996). He was also Chair of the Department of Communication Disorders from 2003 to 2007. Dr. Small was on the Executive Board of the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CAPCSD) from 2007 to 2011, serving as President from 2009 to 2010. He taught in the AuD program at Ohio State University (OSU) for 9 years. For the past 30 years, he has taught courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels in phonetics, hearing science, diagnostic audiology and aural rehabilitation, both at BGSU and OSU. He has authored or coauthored numerous presentations and publications. Dr. Small was named an ASHA Fellow in 2014. He is coauthor (with Dr. Steven Kramer) of the 3rd edition of Audiology Workbook (2019; Plural Publishing).

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