Practical English Phonetics and Phonology

More about the book

The Routledge English Language Introductions series provides a comprehensive resource for students, assuming no prior knowledge. Each volume offers an accessible overview of its subject, complete with activities, study questions, sample analyses, commentaries, and key readings. The innovative 'two-dimensional' structure includes four self-contained sections: Introduction, Development, Exploration, and Extension, facilitating effective study. This fourth edition of a practical guide to English phonetics and phonology presents essential concepts and their everyday applications engagingly. It covers core topics such as phonemes, syllable structure, speech production, vowel and consonant possibilities, glottal settings, stress, rhythm, intonation, and the nuances of connected speech. Additionally, it incorporates classic readings from influential figures in the field and outlines the sound systems of six key languages: Spanish, French, Italian, German, Polish, and Japanese. A new companion website features samples from 25 accent varieties across multiple countries, along with transcriptions, study questions, answer keys, and recordings to support book activities. This edition has been reorganized, with updated descriptions of modern English sounds, expanded intonation coverage, and new readings by David Crystal and John Wells. Authored by experienced educators and researchers, this textbook is ideal for students of English languag