Glossary

A sound produced by the back/mid section of the tongue being raised toward the velum(soft palate). ex: [k] [g]

The area of the vocal tract behind the hard palate; soft palate.

A syntactic/ lexical category (V). The part of speech which gives information about the action or state of the subject. ex: The cook burned the sauce. (where 'burned' is the verb)

The most basic, earliest learned variety of language. It is the least subject to self-monitoring and the least likely to change over an individual's lifetime. We want to pay attention to the use of the vernacular when establishing the role of a single person within/outside the speech community. By looking at the extremes, we can define the core of the group. The vernacular surfaces in certain circumstances -- such as when someone is tired, upset, around other speakers of the same vernacular, or very informal settings.

The Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad is a component of Working Memory that is responsible for manipulating visual and spatial information. It is continually reminding us of our physical surroundings and can also access visual and spatial information from Long Term Memory. This is the component of memory that is responsible for the ability to accurately describe objects.

The physical components of the human body which are used in producing sound, including the oral and nasal cavities, pharynx, larynx, and glottis.

A phonetic feature or property in which the vocal chords vibrate continually during production. ex: vowels, nasals, and liquids

Referring to a type of speech disorder, voice disorders involve complications in one or more aspects of vocal quality (hoarseness, stridency, breathiness), pitch (frequency), loudness, and/or duration.

The time that passes between the end of the production of a consonant and the beginning of the production of a sonorant such as a vowel.

A sound which is produced while the vocal chords are vibrating. ex: [b] [d] [g] [m]

A sound produced without the vocal chords vibrating. ex: [p] [t] [k]

A speech sound which is produced with no obstruction in the vocal cavity. ex: some English vowels: [i] [I] [u] [U] [a] [e]

A type of phonological assimilation process where vowels take on contrasting features of neighboring vowels.