Segmentals vs. Suprasegmental

Segmentals vs. Suprasegmental

1. Segmental Features

   • It refers to sound units, arranged in a sequential order; or it is about consonant vowel.
     • E.g. "fan" /f,æ, n/ → has the tree segments
       • E.g "chain" /tʃ, e, I,n/→ has four segments

2. Suprasegmental Features

   • It refers to stress, pitch, length, intonation and other features that always accompany the production of segmental.
     • Stress
       • In english stress result in: Increased respiratory muscle-activity (producing more loudness)
       • Exageration in sound segment (consonant and vowel) properties such as vowel height, and stop aspiration.
       • E.g. pottery [ 'pɑːtəri]
         • E.g. stopper [ 'stɑːpər]
       • Exagerated pitch could change gramatical category
         • Insult (n) [ 'insʌlt]
         • (to) insult (v) [in 'sʌlt]
       • Length
         • Time it takes to pronounce a phonem
           • It makes sense when its compared with other vowels
             • Office ['ɒːfIs]→ the first vowel is longer than second vowel
     • Intonation
       • Can be used to create contrastive emphasis
         • E.g. I have a black car, not a red one.→ Notice that you can contrast either adjectives to give emphasis .
     • Pitch
       • Voice pitch can change with the rate of vibration of vocald folds
         • E.g. Is this your father?→ Notice that now the second syllable of father is stressed
           • E.g. This is my father→The first syllable of father has an higher pitch