Fundamentals of Phonetics: A Practical Guide for Students, 6th edition

For courses in communications sciences and disorders.

A practical introduction to phonetics principles and transcription

Fundamentals of Phonetics helps introductory-level students understand the basics and gain the skills needed to perform transcriptions using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). A chapter on dialectical variation shows how to use the IPA to transcribe for individuals who display regional or ethnic variations of speech, including those who learned English as a second language. Exercises provide multiple opportunities for students to practice transcription.

The 6th Edition is updated with new material on key concepts in phonetic transcription, current census data, 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 gives students numerous opportunities to practice transcribing speech using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
• An entire chapter on dialectical variation introduces differences in speech production focusing on regional, social, 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.
• In-chapter exercises, chapter summaries, and end-of-chapter review exercises further students’ understanding of the material.

New and updated features of this title

• NEW/UPDATED: Census data, learning objectives, study questions, online resources, and references reflect the latest research, philosophies, and best practices in the field.
• NEW: Content includes a description of the branches of phonetics in Chapter 1; the addition of the postalveolar place of articulation in the consonant phoneme chart in Chapter 5 to align with the IPA; and an overview of typical phonological development to contextualize the discussion of speech sound disorders in Chapter 8.
• UPDATED: Focus on equity and inclusion includes the use of person-first language in the text and the use of multiple skin tones in the anatomical figures to represent the diversity of human speakers.
• UPDATED: Chapter 7, Connected Speech, is reorganized to reflect segmental and suprasegmental aspects of speech.
• UPDATED: Treatment of normal variation in speech and disordered speech highlights normal variation as an inherent part of speech shaped by anatomical, acoustic, contextual, developmental, and regional/social/ethnic factors.