On the perception of rhythmic grouping

How do we perceive groups of beats? How do we decide where the "first" beat of a group is, if the sounds keep going?

The 'Iambic/Trochaic law' is that if beats contrast in length, the most prominent beat will naturally come last in the group (iambic rhythm), but if they contrast in intensity, the most prominent will naturally come first (trochaic rhythm).

Ask a linguist

Do you have questions about language? Do they require journal access, or a specialist library, or lots of background knowledge you just don't have?

Ask them here! I'm studying linguistics because I find it fascinating, and sometimes the most interesting questions are the ones that haven't occurred to me yet.

So if you have questions about how children acquire language, how to imitate a different accent, whether signed languages are just like spoken languages, how languages change with time, how we hear in a noisy room or anything else that occurs to you - if I can find an answer, I'll write a blog post on it.

The Blackwell Companion to Phonology, Volume I: Chapter 1: Underlying Representations

We take a major diversion from 'Vowels and Consonants' to look at The Blackwell Companion to Phonology.

Since the purpose of these blogs posts is partly to communicate some linguistics to a interested but non-specialist audience, that introductory book was a good place to be. Alas, the other purpose was to provide incentives to get through my reading list, and that book is sufficiently introductory that writing each summary post took longer than reading the chapter! Now, we move onto something a little more dense, and I will need my note-taking...

(Apologies for any Atlantic spelling that follows - the book is in American English, and I appear to be randomly alternating between copying out quotes verbatim, and replacing the spelling with my own...)

Vowels and Consonants: Chapter 3

Part 3 of my notes on Vowels and Consonants by Peter Ladefoged, revised by Sandra Fwerrari Disner. ISBN: 978-1-4443-3429-6. Part 1 here, Part 2 here.

Chapter 3: Vowel contrasts

Vowels and Consonants: Chapter 2

Part 2 of my notes on Vowels and Consonants by Peter Ladefoged, revised by Sandra Fwerrari Disner. ISBN: 978-1-4443-3429-6. Part 1 here.

Sounds files and photos of vocal folds can be found at: http://www.vowelsandconsonants3e.com/chapter_2.html

Chapter 2: Pitch and Loudness

Vowels and Consonants: Chapter 1

Part 1 of my notes on Vowels and Consonants by Peter Ladefoged, revised by Sandra Fwerrari Disner. ISBN: 978-1-4443-3429-6.

This book is being used as an introductory textbook on phonetics.

Optimality theory

Today, an introduction to Optimality Theory, taken from Optimality Theory: A Reader, edited by John McCarthy.