The clear and easy way to get a handle on the science of speech The 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.

The fascinating, fun, and friendly way to understand the science behind human language Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics students study how languages are constructed, how they function, how they affect society, and how humans learn language. From understanding other languages to teaching computers to communicate, linguistics plays a vital role in society. Linguistics For Dummies tracks to a typical college-level introductory linguistics course and arms you with the confidence, knowledge, and know-how to score your highest. Understand the science behind human language Grasp how language is constructed Score your highest in college-level linguistics If you're enrolled in an introductory linguistics course or simply have a love of human language, Linguistics For Dummies is your one-stop resource for unlocking the science of the spoken word.

Features kid- and parent-friendly tips and activities The fun and easy way to grasp the ABCs of reading Want to introduce your child to reading, or strengthen your child's reading skills? This fun and entertaining guide shows you how to use phonics as an easy and engaging path to reading. Phonics For Dummies contains tips on mastering letter sounds in reading, activities to engage your child's enthusiasm, and advice for making reading interesting and fun. Discover how to: Use phonics to learn to read Improve reading and spelling skills Master unusual sounds and spellings Build your child's vocabulary Play games that encourage progress All this on the audio CD: Dozens of letter sounds in friendly lessons Keywords to help your child with reading and spelling Easy examples and tips for your child to follow Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

An indispensable comprehensive reference guide to the phonetic alphabet symbols, revised and expanded. Phonetic Symbol Guide is a comprehensive and authoritative encyclopedia of phonetic alphabet symbols, providing a complete survey of the hundreds of characters used by linguists and speech scientists to record the sounds of the world’s languages. This fully revised second edition incorporates the major revisions to the International Phonetic Alphabet made in 1989 and 1993. Also covered are the American tradition of transcription stemming from the anthropological school of Franz Boas; the Bloch/Smith/Trager style of transcription; the symbols used by dialectologists of the English language; usages of specialists such as Slavicists, Indologists, Sinologists, and Africanists; and the transcription proposals found in all major textbooks of phonetics. With sixty-one new entries, an expanded glossary of phonetic terms, added symbol charts, and a full index, this book will be an indispensable reference guide for students and professionals in linguistics, phonetics, anthropology, philology, modern language study, and speech science. Praise for the First Edition of Phonetic Symbol Guide “A useful and convenient reference work in dictionary form.” —Marc Picard, Canadian Journal of Linguistics “Pullum and Ladusaw have compiled a unique . . . and very enjoyable book. . . . I expect that this guide will prove to be very useful to very many people.” —Keren D. Rice, Phonology “The attention to detail is exemplary, as is the clarity of exposition. . . . The authors have produced a book in which there is much to be admired.” —Richard Coates, Journal of Linguistics

Routledge English Language Introductions cover core areas of language study and are one-stop resources for students. Assuming no prior knowledge, books in the series offer an accessible overview of the subject, with activities, study questions, sample analyses, commentaries and key readings – all in the same volume. The innovative and flexible ‘two-dimensional’ structure is built around four sections – Introduction, Development, Exploration and Extension – which offer self-contained stages for study. Revised and updated throughout, this fourth edition of Practical English Phonetics and Phonology: presents the essentials of the subject and their day-to-day applications in an engaging and accessible manner; covers all the core concepts of phonetics and phonology, such as the phoneme, syllable structure, production of speech, vowel and consonant possibilities, glottal settings, stress, rhythm, intonation and the surprises of connected speech; incorporates classic readings from key names in the discipline; outlines the sound systems of six key languages from around the world (Spanish, French, Italian, German, Polish and Japanese); is accompanied by a brand-new companion website which hosts a collection of samples provided by genuine speakers of 25 accent varieties from Britain, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Singapore and West Africa, as well as transcriptions, further study questions, answer keys, links to further reading and numerous recordings to accompany activities in the book. This edition has been completely reorganised and new features include: updated descriptions of the sounds of modern English and the adoption of the term General British (GB); considerable expansion of the treatment of intonation, including new recordings; and two new readings by David Crystal and John Wells. Written by authors who are experienced teachers and researchers, this best-selling textbook will appeal to all students of English language and linguistics and those training for a certificate in TEFL.

How many years has it been since your last diction class? This handy guidebook is an easy reference for the symbols used in IPA: what they look like and how they are pronounced. Example words for every symbol are included in English, Latin, Italian, German, French, and Spanish. And an online resource includes recorded demonstrations of every sound. A clear and concise tool for singing in foreign languages, equally useful in the choir room and the vocal studio.