Handbook of the International Phonetic Association: A Guide to the Use of the International Phonetic Alphabet

221 Pages·1999·8.26 MB·English

by  International Phonetic Association

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The Handbook of the International Phonetic Association is a comprehensive guide to the
Association's 'International Phonetic Alphabet' . The aim of the International Phonetic
Alphabet is to provide a universally agreed system of notation for the sounds of languages,
and for over a century the Alphabet has been widely used by phoneticians and others
concerned with language. The Handbook presents the bas ics of phonetic analysis so that
the principles underlying the Alphabet can be readily understood, and exemplifies the use
of each of the phonetic symbols comprising the Alphabet. The application of the Alphabet
is then extensively demonstrated by the inclusion of over two dozen 'Illustrations' -
concise analyses of the sound systems of languages accompanied by a phonetic
transcription of a passage of speech . These Illustrations cover languages from allover the
world. The Handbook also includes a range of other useful information. The 'Extensions '
to the International Phonetic Alphabet cover speech sounds beyond the sound systems of
languages, such as those with paralinguistic functions and those encountered in
pathological speech . A full listing is given of internationally agreed computer codings for
phonetic symbols, including not only those of the International Phonetic Alphabet but also
those of other traditions . And there is extensive information on the history of the
International Phonetic Association and its current activities. The Handbook is an essential
reference work for all those involved in the analysis of speech.
The International Phonetic Association exists to promote the study of the science of
phonetics and the applications of that science. The Association can trace its history back to
1886, and since that time the most widely known aspect of its work has been the
International Phonetic Alphabet. The Handbook has been produced collaboratively by
leading phoneticians who have been on the Executive of the Association , and it
incorporates (for instance in the case of the Illustrations) material provided by numerous
members of the Association world wide.
Sound files to accompany the book are available at
http ://uk .cambridge.org/l ingu istics/ resourccs/ipahand book.
Handbook of the International Phonetic Association
A guide to the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet
• CAMBRIDGE
: UNIVERSITY PRESS
I
CAMBRIDGE UNI VERSITY PRESS
Cambri dge, New York , Me lbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, Silo Paulo
Cambri dge University Press ,
The Edin burgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8R~, UK
Published in the United States of Amer ica by Cambridge University Press, New York
www .cambrid ge.org
Informa tion on this title:www.cambridge.org/9780521652360
© The International Phonetic Association 1999
This pub lication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception
and to the provis ions of relevant collective licepsing agreements,
no reproduction of any part may take place without
the written permission of Cam bridge University Press.
First published 1999
Eighth printing 2007
Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Camb ridge
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN- 13 978-0-521-65236-0 hardback
ISBN-IO 0-52 1-65236-7 hardbac k
ISBN-1 3 978-0-521-6375 1-0 paperback
ISBN-I O 0-521-6375 1-1 paperback
The IPA fonts and severa l language fonts used in the preparation and printing of
this work are available from the Linguist's Software, Inc., PO Box 580, Edmo nds,
WA 98020 -0580 USA. Tel: [phone].
Cambri dge University Press has no respon sibility for the persistence or accuracy ofURLs
for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not
guarantee that any con tent on such websites is, or will remain, accur ate or appropriate.
-
CONTENTS
Foreword vii
The IP A Chart ix
PART 1: Introduction to the IPA
1 What is the International Phonetic Alphabet? 3
2 Phonetic description and the IPA Chart 3
2.1 Linguistically relevant information in speech 4
2.2 Segments 4
2.3 The consonant-vowel distinction 6
2.4 Consonants 7
2.5 Non-pulmonic consonants 9
2.6 Vowels 10
2.7 Suprasegmentals 13
2.8 Diacritics 15
2.9 Other symbols 17
3 Guide to IP A notation 18
3.1 Exemplification of the symbols 18
3.2 Languages used f or exemplification 25
4 The phonemic principle 27
5 Broad and narrow transcriptions 28
6 IP A transcriptions for a language 30
7 Working with the IPA 31
7.1 Symb ol names 31
7.2 Using the 1PA in handwriting 31
7.3 Using the 1PA in print 31
7.4 Using the 1PA on computers 31
7.5 The /PA and braille 32
8 Going beyond the IP A 32
9 Some problematic issues 33
9. / Segmentation 33
9.2 Aligning transcriptions and speech 35
9.3 Transcribing the speaker or the hearer? 36
10 The IPA and phonological theory 37
VI Contents
PART 2: Illustrations of the IPA
Am erican English
41
Amharic
45
Ara bic
51
Bulgarian
55
Cantonese
58
Catalan
61
Croatian
66
Czech
70
Dutch
74
French
78
Galician
82
German
86
Hausa
90
Hebrew
96
Hindi
100
Hungarian
104
Igbo
108
Irish
II I
Japanese
11 7
Korean
120
Persian (Farsi)
124
Portuguese
126
Sindhi
131
Slovene
135
Swedish 140
Taba
143
Thai
147
Tukang Besi
151
Turkish
154
PART 3: Appendices
Appendix 1 The Principles of the International Phonetic Association 159
Appendix 2 Computer coding of IPA symbols 161
Appendi x 3 Extensions to the IPA
186
Appendix 4 About the International Phonetic Association 194
The History of the Association
194
Statutes and By-laws
197
How to fi nd out more about the Association 199
How to j oin the Association
199
Appendi x 5 Reference charts
200
Foreword
The Handbook of the International Phoneti c Association is a resource containing co ncise
information on the International Phoneti c Alph abet and guidance on how to use it - a kind
of 'user's manual' . It replaces the Principles of the Internati onal Phonet ic Association,
which has been out of print for some time and which had not been revi sed since 1949. Bu t
although the Handbook rep laces some of the functions of the o ld Prin ciples , it is a
completely new work with wider objectives .
The old Principl es contained a short tutorial on phonetic description, examp les of the
use of pho neti c sy mbols, and a large number of 'specimens ' cons isting of ver y brief
comments on the phonetics of a language and a transcription of the 'North Wind and the
Sun ' text tran slated into the language. Additionally, there was some information about the
Association , and, printed on the inside covers, a brief history of it.
Th e new Handb ook broadly speaking retain s these components. It is divided into three
part s: part 1 cont ains an introduction to phonetic de scription and exemplification of the
use of the symbols; part 2 consi sts of ' Illustrations' of the use of the International Phonetic
Alphabet for different languages (the se Illustrat ions are ones which have appeared in the
Journal of the International Phonetic Association since 1989 ); and part 3 co nta ins
appendices with a variety of reference material.
Beyond the basic similarity of struc ture, the Handb ook is very diffe rent from the old
Principles . Mo st superficial ly, perh aps , it reflects the changes which have been made in
that most tangible and widely known product of the Asso ciation' s work, the IPA Chart.
Discussion and exemplification is based on the most recent (1996) edition of the chart.
More subs tant ively, the Handbook acknowledges the fact that over the past half century
the advance of techniques for acoustic analys is means that many readers will be familiar
with , and qu ite possibly working with , speech as an acou sti c s ignal. Thi s means it now
seems appropriate to use an acoustic display such as a spe ctrogram not only as a way of
pre senting one facet of speech , but also to discuss problems whi ch arise in the relation
betw een a segm ental ly based system of notation and the phy sical speech eve nt. The
Handbook will a lso contain practical information to do with the use of the IPA on
computers, such as the computer cod es for phon etic symbols.
The most fundamental differences between the old Principles and the new Handbook
perhaps arise from the expectation that the readership of the new work will be much less
homogeneous than that envisaged for the old one. The new Handbook is inten ded to be a
reference work not only for language teachers and phoneticians interested in the sounds of
different languages, but also for speech technolo gists , speech pathologi sts , theoretical
phonolog ists, and others.
Thi s breadth of readership is to be encou raged , given the goa l that the Internat ional
Phonetic Alph abe t (hereafter ' the IPA' ) should be a standard for the representa tion of
speech. Bu t it poses parti cu lar cha llenges for the writ ing of the ' tutoria l' sections of the
Handbook . The challenges are further increased by the verti ca l spread of readers from
those who are experienced phon eticians to those who know nothing about phonetics. The
viii Foreword
breadth of reader ship has led pe rhaps to a more equi vocal tone in the presentati on of the
premis es beh ind the IP A than in the Principles. For inst ance , the way in whic h the IPA
dev eloped historically was c lose ly bou n6 up with a 'strictly segmented' ph onemic view,
and in sec tio n 10 the fac t tha t the+ are alt ern atives in pho no logical theory is
acknowledged . Th e vertica l spread of readers poses the recurring quest ion of how much or
how little to say . Th e low er bound is presumably wh at a novice needs to pick up in orde r
to have so me idea of the pri nc iples governi ng the organiza tion of the cha rt. The upper
bo und is the practi cal go a l of a compac t booklet , read ily afford able by stude nts, and
co ncis e en ou gh to be easi ly digested by non-spec ial ist reade rs .
Th e resulting text in part I is more discur sive than tha t of the old Principles. It should
,
be borne in mind, how ever, that it does riot attempt the job either of a phonetics te xtbook,
or of a critique of the IPA . Now adays th~re are many good pho netics te xtbooks avai lable,
and it woul d be expected that studen ts of phonetics wo uld read one or more of the se in
co nj unc tion with the Handbook. The pu rpose of the Handb ook is not to pro vide a
co mprehe nsive or balanced ed ucat ion in: phonetics , but to provide a conc ise summary of
infor ma tion needed for ge tting to grips with the IP A. Likew ise , wh ilst a full -scale c ritique
of the assumption s on which the IP A is founde d is pe rhap s due , the practically-oriented
Handb ook is not the place for it. T he IPI\ is a working tool for many, and whil st it may be
poss ible to improve that tool, the role of the Handbook is that of an instructi on manua l for
the too! whi ch is currently available.
Th e creat ion of the Handb ook has been in ev ery sense a co llaborative effo rt. Th e text
in part I is largely the res po nsibi lity of Francis Nol an , and the exemplificati on of the use
of so unds was provided by Peter Ladefoged and Ian M addi eson. Ian M addieso n, and
M artin Barry , as successive edi tors of the Journal of the In tern ational Phonet ic
Association, have been res pons ible for oversee ing and co lla ting the rich and ever gro wi ng
stoc k of Illu str ations. Mart in Ba ll was inst ru me nta l in formulati ng the Exten sion s to the
IPA (a ppendix 3), and Mi ke MacMaho n wr ote appe nd ix 4 on the hist or y of the
Associat ion . John Es ling is responsible for appendix 2 on the co mp ute r co ding of sy mbols,
and for most of the wor k invol ved in the final stages of preparing the Handbook inclu din g
the fin al editing of the lIIustrat ions. And, of course, particul ar thanks are due to the authors
of the Illu st rat ions, and to the large number of members of the International Phon et ic
Association who responded with sug ges tions and co rrec tio ns when a draft of pa rts of the
Handbook was pu blished in the Journal of the International Phonetic Association.