1.The subject matter of Phonetics. Description of speech sounds. The work of speech organs while pronouncing sounds. Articulation.Phonetics is the scientific study of speech. The central concerns in phonetics are the discovery of how speech sounds are produced, how they are used in spoken language, how we hear and recognize different sounds. Phonetics is a basis branch of linguistics which studies the sound matter, its aspects and functions. Branches of phonetics are articulately ( movement of speech organs), acoustic, auditory (sensation of hearing). Speech sounds are vowels and consonant: vowels are highly sonorous rounds, made with a relatively open vocal tract; consonants involve some kind of constriction in the vocal tract. They are quieter than vowels.In accordance with their linguistic function the organs of speech may be grouped as follows:The respiratory or power mechanism tarnishes the flow of air which or air which is the first requisite for the production of speech sounds. The mechanism is formed by the lungs, the wind – pipe and the bronchi;The air stream released by the lungs goes through the larynx, which contains the vocal cords. The vocal cords are two elastic folds which may be kept apart or brought together. The opening between them is called the glottis. Their role is very important in the production of voice;From the larynx the air-stream passes to supraglottal cavities, that is to the pharynx, the mouth and the nasal cavities.Articulatism is the movement of the vocal organs to produce speech sounds. Organs which include are the tongue, the lips the hard palate, the soft palate, the teeth, the pharynx and the larynx.

2. Articulatory and physiological classification of English consonants. Types of consonants. Approximants. Occlusive. Constrictive. Fricative. Plosive. Noise. Bilabial. Clear l.

Consonants are divided into noise and sonorants. Consonants are made with air stream that meets an obstruction in the mouth or nasal cavities. That is why in the production of consonant sounds there is a certain degree of noise on the articulatory level the consonants change: in the degree of noise (voicing); in the manner of articulation; in the place of articulation.Voiced are [ b, d, g], voiceless are [p, t, f]Approximants are consonants in which the constriction is fairly wide, so that air passes through without creating turbulence or trilling.Occlusive consonants are sounds in the production of which the air stream meets a complete obstruction in mouth.Constrictive consonants are those in the production of which the air stream meets an incomplete obstruction in the resonator, so the air passage is constricted. Fricatives (f, h, g) is a type of consonant made by forcing air through a narrow gap so that a hissing noise is generates.Plosive is a sound produced by forming a complete obstruction to the flow of air out of the mouth and nose.Bilateral – sounds are made by touching the upper and laver lips together. Clear L is a type of lateral sound in which the air escapes past the sides of the tongue, found normally only before vowels.

3. Connection of Phonetics with other sciences. Principle of transcription, transliteration. Modification of consonants in connected speech.

Phonetics is connected with linguistic and non – linguistic sciences: acoustic, physiology, psychology, logic.The connection of phonetics with grammar, lexicology and stylistics is exercised first of all orthography which in its turn is very closely connected with phonetics. Through the system of rules of reading phonetics is connected with grammar and helps to pronounce correctly singular and plural forms of nouns and another. Phonetics is also connected with grammar through its intonation components phonetics as also connected with lexicology. It’s only due to the presence of stress, or accent in the right place with stylistics through intonation and it’s components, through repetition of words, phrases and sounds.

Speech sounds are seldom said by themselves, they are used in combination with other sounds in connected speech. Isolation of sounds from the flow of speech is to a great degree simplification of real process. In the process of speech the articulatory organs are moving continually and the sounds mostly merge one into another. The sounds are modified by other sounds near to them in the phonetic sequence.

4. Voiced and voiceless consonants. Voicing. Devoicing. Shwa.

In a voiced consonant, the vocal cords vibrate. When the vocal cords are brought together and vibrate we hear voice. Voiced consonants are [p, d, g, z, ʒ, ʤ]. If vocal cords are apart and don’t vibrate we hear only noise and the consonants are voiceless [p, t, k, f, s, h, ʃ, ɵ, ʧ]. Voicing is a term used to refer to the vibration of the vocal folds. Devoicing is a process affecting a sound which we would normally except to be voiced but which is pronounced without voicing in a particular context.

Scwa is unstressed central vowel. One of the most noticeable features of English pronunciation the phonetic difference between stressed and unstressed syllables.