Короткі теоретичні відомості. Allophones are arranged into functionally similar groups, that is groups of sounds in which the members of each group are not opposed to one another

Allophones are arranged into functionally similar groups, that is groups of sounds in which the members of each group are not opposed to one another, but are opposable to members of any other group to distinguish meanings in otherwise similar sequences.

Allophones of the same phoneme, no matter how different their articulation may be, function as the same linguistic unit. The native speaker is quite readily aware of the phonemes of his language but much less aware of the allophones: it is possible, in fact, that he will not hear the difference between two allophones like the alveolar and dental consonants [d] in the words bread and breadth even when a distinction is pointed out; a certain amount of ear-training may be needed. The reason is that the phonemes differentiate words like tie and die from each other. Allophones, on the other hand, have no such function.

At the same time native speakers realize, quite subconsciously of course, that allophones of each phoneme possess a bundle of distinctive features, that makes this phoneme functionally different from all other phonemes of the language concerned. This functionally relevant bundle of articulatory features is called the invariant (інваріанта, постійна величина)of the phoneme. Neither of the articulatory features that form the invariant of the phoneme can be changed without affecting the meaning. All the allophones of the phoneme [d], for instance, are occlusive, forelingual (передлінгвальний), lenis (слабкий). If occlusive articulation is changed for constrictive one [d] will be replaced by [z], cf. breed – breeze, deal – zeal; [d] will be replaced by [g] if the forelingual articulation is replaced by the backlingual one, cf. dear – gear, day – gay. The lenis articulation of [d] cannot be substituted by the fortis one because it will also bring about changes in meaning, cf. dry – try, ladder – latter, bid – bit.

The articulatory features which form the invariant of the phoneme are called distinctive (характерний, відмінний) or relevant (релевантний, значущий). To extract a relevant feature of the phoneme we have to oppose it to some other phoneme in the same phonetic context. If the opposed sounds differ in one articulatory feature and this difference brings about changes in the meaning of the words the contrasting features are called relevant. For example, the words port and court differ in one consonant only, that is the word port has the initial consonant [p], and the word court begins with [k]. Both sounds are occlusive and fortis, the only difference being that [p] is labial and [k] is backlingual. Therefore it is possible to say that labial and backlingual articulations are relevant in the system of English consonants.

The articulatory features which do not serve to distinguish meaning are called nondistinctive (нехарактерний), irrelevant (той, що не стосується справи) or redundant (надлишковий, надмірний); for instance, it is impossible in English to oppose an aspirated [p] to a non-aspirated one in the same phonetic context to distinguish meanings. That is why aspiration is a non-distinctive feature of English consonants.

If an allophone of some phoneme is replaced by an allophone of a different phoneme the mistake is called phonological, because the meaning of the word is inevitably affected, e.g.: beat – bit.

If an allophone of the phoneme is replaced by another allophone of the same phoneme the mistake is called phonetic. It happens when the invariant of the phoneme is not modified and consequently the meaning of the word is not affected, e.g.: When the vowel [i:] is fully long in such a word as sheep, for instance, the quality of it remaining the same, the meaning of the word does not change.

Завдання до теми

Read the tongue-twisters:

1. Raise Ruth’s red roof.

2. Rattle your bottles in Rollocks’ van.

3. Ray Rag ran across a rough road. Across a rough road Ray Rag ran. Where is the rough road Ray Rag ran across?

4. Real rock wall, real rock wall, real rock wall.

5. Real weird rear wheels 

6. Really leery, rarely Larry

7. Red Buick, blue Buick

8. Red lolly, yellow lolly.

9. Reed Wade Road

10. Rhys watched Ross switch his Irish wristwatch for a Swiss wristwatch.

Контрольні питання

1. What are the groups allophones arranged into?

2. Do allophones differentiate the meaning of the word?

3. What are nondistinctive articulatory features?

4. What mistake is called phonetic?

5. What are distinctive articulatory features?

6. What mistake is called phonological?

Література [6, c. 22-23]

Практичне заняття № 8