The fully updated, new edition of the bestselling introduction to phonetics and phonology

In The Sounds of Language, Elizabeth C. Zsiga presents a uniquely broad and balanced introduction to the theory and practice of phonetics and phonology. This bestselling textbook covers the concepts, theories, history, and intersections of these two major branches of linguistics, and provides a comprehensive introduction to both the physical and cognitive aspects of speech sounds.

With a flexible modular structure, The Sounds of Language offers instructors the freedom to easily choose, re-order, combine, or skip sections to meet the needs of their classrooms. Twenty-four concise chapters, organized into six sections that each focus on a particular sub-discipline, cover a wide range of topics in phonetics and phonology, from the basics of articulation to models of sociolinguistic variation.

Each chapter includes problem sets that allow students to practice data analysis and hypothesis testing, practical advice on collecting and analysing various types of linguistic data, real-world examples of phonetic and phonological phenomena, and more.

The second edition features new examples, new problem sets and exercises, and three entirely new chapters on Sound Structure and Word Structure, Lexical Phonology, and Variation and Probability in Phonological Theory. Revised and expanded chapters address topics such as child language acquisition, adult language learning, and new theoretical developments in the field. This edition includes access to an updated companion website with additional exercises, sound files, and other supporting resources.

Assuming no prior knowledge of the subject, The Sounds of Language: An Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology, Second Edition, is the perfect textbook for classes on phonology and phonetics, as well as related courses in linguistics, applied linguistics, speech science, language acquisition, and cognitive science programs.

The fully updated, new edition of the bestselling introduction to phonetics and phonology

The Sounds of Language presents a comprehensive introduction to both the physical and cognitive aspects of speech sounds. Assuming no prior knowledge of phonetics or phonology, this student-friendly textbook clearly explains fundamental concepts and theories, describes key phonetic and phonological phenomena, explores the history and intersection of the two fields, offers practical advice on collecting and reading data, and more.

Twenty-four concise chapters, written in non-technical language, are organized into six sections that each focus on a particular sub-discipline: Articulatory Phonetics, Acoustic Phonetics, Segmental Phonology, Suprasegmental Phonology, the Phonology/Morphology Interface, and Variation and Change. The book's flexible modular approach allows instructors to easily choose, re-order, combine, or skip sections to meet the needs of one- and two-semester courses of varying levels. Now in its second edition, The Sounds of Language contains updated references, new problem sets, new examples, and links to new online material. The new edition features new chapters on Lexical Phonology; Word Structure and Sound Structure; and Variation, Probability, and Phonological Theory. Chapters on Sociolinguistic Variation, Child Language Acquisition, and Adult Language Learning have also been extensively updated and revised.

Offering uniquely broad and balanced coverage of the theory and practice of two major branches of linguistics, The Sounds of Language:

• Covers a wide range of topics in phonetics and phonology, from the anatomy of the vocal tract to the cognitive processes behind the comprehension of speech sounds
• Features critical reviews of different approaches that have been used to address phonetics and phonology problems
• Integrates data on sociolinguistic variation, first language acquisition, and second language learning
• Surveys key phonological theories, common phonological processes, and computational techniques for speech analysis
• Contains numerous exercises and progressively challenging problem sets that allow students to practice data analysis and hypothesis testing
• Includes access to a companion website with additional exercises, sound files, and other supporting resources

The Sounds of Language: An Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology, Second Edition, remains the ideal textbook for undergraduate and beginning graduate classes on phonology and phonetics, as well as related courses in linguistics, applied linguistics, speech science, language acquisition, and cognitive science programs.