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Fundamentals of Phonetics: A Practical Guide for Students, 6th edition

Published by Pearson (August 8, 2024) © 2025

  • Larry H. Small
  • Chao-Yang Lee Ohio University

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eTextbook on Pearson+

ISBN-13: 9780138285234 (2024 update)

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eTextbook + Study & Exam Prep on Pearson+

ISBN-13: 9780138285234 (2024 update)

In this eTextbook — More ways to learn

  • More support. Get AI help with personalized summaries, instant explanations, and quick translations.
  • More flexible. Start learning right away, on any device.
  • More interactive. Learn through audio, video, and practice.
  • More memorable. Study better with notes, highlights, and flashcards.

Purchasing Instructions

This form contains two groups of radio buttons, one for Exam Pack purchasing options, and one for standard purchasing options. Only one option can be chosen for purchase. Any option that is selected will deselect any previously selected purchase option.

eTextbook access on Pearson+

ISBN-13: 9780138285234 (2024 update)

Unlock extra study tools in 19 subjects

eTextbook access + Study & Exam Prep monthly subscription on Pearson+

ISBN-13: 9780138285234 (2024 update)

In this eTextbook — More ways to learn

  • More support. Get AI help with personalized summaries, instant explanations, and quick translations.
  • More flexible. Start learning right away, on any device.
  • More interactive. Learn through audio, video, and practice.
  • More memorable. Study better with notes, highlights, and flashcards.
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Title overview

Fundamentals of Phonetics is a systematic, easy-to-understand introduction to phonetics principles and transcription. It uses in-text exercises to teach the practical skills necessary to successfully perform phonetic transcription of individuals using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). You'll learn about the transcription of consonants and vowels, connected speech, and individuals with speech sound disorders. A chapter on speech acoustics introduces spectrograms and the acoustic characteristics of speech sounds. You will also learn how to transcribe individuals who display regional and ethnic dialectal variations of speech, including those who have learned to speak English as a second language.

The 6th Edition is updated with new material on key concepts in phonetic transcription, current census data, and more.

Table of contents

  1. Phonetics: A “Sound” Science
  2. Phonetic Transcription of English
  3. Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech Mechanism
  4. Vowels
  5. Consonants
  6. Acoustic Characteristics of Vowels and Consonants
  7. Connected Speech
  8. Transcription of Speech Sound Disorders
  9. Dialectical Variation

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