acoustic phonetics

The Chart That Mapped Our Vowels

The vowel trapezoid chart is a familiar sight to any linguistics student, but its simple shape hides a fascinating story…

6 days ago

The Sound Forged by Fire: Welsh’s ‘LL’

The Welsh 'll' is more than just a tricky sound for language learners; it's a voiceless fricative with a deep…

6 days ago

The Physics of the Tongue: A Muscular Hydrostat

Your tongue performs incredible feats of precision for speech, all without a single bone. Discover the fascinating science of the…

1 month ago

Auditory Masking in the City

Ever wondered why a distant siren can slice through city noise, but you can't hear a friend talking right beside…

1 month ago

How the Deaf Read Lips: A Feat of Phonetics

Contrary to Hollywood depictions, lip-reading is less like a superpower and more like a high-stakes puzzle with most of the…

1 month ago

The Great ‘Bet/Vet’ Split in Hebrew

Ever stumbled over whether to say 'bet' or 'vet' in Hebrew? This seemingly random choice is a window into a…

1 month ago

Why Are Slavic Languages So Beautiful?

From the soft, melodic whispers of palatalized consonants to the poetic freedom of its grammar, the beauty of Slavic languages…

1 month ago

The Unmoved Lip: Phonetics of Ventriloquism

The magic of ventriloquism isn't just misdirection; it's a masterclass in applied phonetics. Performers overcome the challenge of lip-based sounds…

1 month ago

What’s a Diphthong? (And How to Say Them)

Ever wondered what the sounds in 'boy', 'cow', and 'my' have in common? They're diphthongs—two vowel sounds smashed into a…

1 month ago

The Unheard: Our Noise vs Animal Talk

Beyond the familiar chirps and calls, a complex world of animal language is under threat. Our modern world's constant noise…

4 months ago

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