Phonetics introduction

PHONETICS


Introduction

“Phonetics - the science that studies the sound matter of the language, its semantic functions and the lines of development.

Phonology - the science that deals with phonemes and their sequences. It is functional phonetics since it investigates the functional side of phonemes, accent, syllable, and intonation” [3; 261].

These sciences are very important for learning language. Very often they are mixed, but we have to differentiate them. To know English well we should learn not only grammar and vocabulary but we should know right pronunciation of the sounds.

The aim of my work is to show the importance of English phonetics and phonology.

Also I have put such tasks, as:

1. to study history, development of phonetics and phonology;

2. to indicate different branches of phonetics;

3. to look on connection phonetics with other sciences;

4. to find out differences between phonetics and phonology.

These items are actual and important even nowadays. Phonetics and phonology are worth studying for several reasons. One is that as all study of language, the study of phonology gives us insight into how the human mind works. Two more reasons are that the study of the phonetics of a foreign language gives us a much better ability both to hear and to correct mistakes that we make, and also to teach pronunciation of the foreign language to others.