The meaning of the dots in English phonetic symbols
English phonetic symbols are used to represent the sounds of words in the English language. These symbols are written in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and include various marks and symbols to indicate the pronunciation of words. One of these marks is the dot or dots that appear at the bottom left corner of some symbols. In this article, we will explore the meaning of these dots and how they affect the pronunciation of words.
Single dot
When a single dot appears at the bottom left corner of a phonetic symbol, it indicates that the sound is aspirated. Aspiration refers to the release of a burst of air after a consonant sound. For example, the sound /p/ in the word "pat" is aspirated, which means that a small puff of air is released when the sound is pronounced. The phonetic symbol for this sound is /pʰ/, with the single dot indicating the aspiration.
Other consonant sounds that are aspirated in English include /tʰ/, /kʰ/, /tʃʰ/, and /pʃʰ/. The single dot in these symbols indicates that the sounds are pronounced with an extra burst of air.
Double dot
When two dots appear at the bottom left corner of a phonetic symbol, it indicates that the sound is voiced. Voicing refers to the vibration of the vocal cords during the pronunciation of a sound. For example, the sound /s/ in the word "sip" is unvoiced, which means that the vocal cords do not vibrate when the sound is pronounced. The phonetic symbol for this sound is /s/, with no dots indicating that the sound is unvoiced.
However, the sound /z/ in the word "zip" is voiced, which means that the vocal cords vibrate when the sound is pronounced. The phonetic symbol for this sound is /z/, with the double dot indicating that the sound is voiced.
Combination of dots
Some phonetic symbols may have both a single dot and a double dot at the bottom left corner. This indicates that the sound is both aspirated and voiced. For example, the sound /b/ in the word "bat" is both aspirated and voiced. The phonetic symbol for this sound is /bʰ/, with the single dot indicating the aspiration and the double dot indicating the voicing.
Other sounds that may be both aspirated and voiced include /dʒ/ and /g/. The combination of dots in these symbols indicates that the sounds are pronounced with both an extra burst of air and vocal cord vibration.
Conclusion
The dots that appear at the bottom left corner of some phonetic symbols in the English language indicate important aspects of pronunciation, such as aspiration and voicing. Understanding these symbols can help learners of English to improve their pronunciation and communicate more effectively in the language.