Distinctive Feature Theory

Distinctive Feature Theory

According to the distinctive Feature theory, phonemes are bundles of distinguishing features. Every phoneme possesses a set of phonetic features which is never identical with that of another phoneme.

These significant features of phonemes are those features which

i. Distinguish them from other phonemes e.g. being bilabial or non-bilabial distinguishes /p, b, m and w/ from all the other phonemes of English

ii. Play a crucial role in the statement of phonological rules e.g. the features alveolar and alveolropalatal together with the feature fricative and the feature alveolropalatal combined with the feature affricate result in the plural morpheme (s or es) being realised as /iz/ instead of /s/ or /z/.

The following features are regarded as the distinguishing features of the phoneme of English

A. Consonants

P – Bilabial, voiceless, plosive

b – Bilabial, voiced, plosive

t – Alveolar, voiceless, plosive

d – Alveolar, voiced, plosive

k – Velar, voiceless, plosive

g – Velar, voiced, plosive

tʃ -   Palatoalveolar, voiceless, affricate

dʒ - Palatoalveolar, voiced, affricate m – Bilabial, voiced, nasal n – Alveolar, voiced, nasal ŋ – Velar, voiced, nasal

f – Labio-dental, voiceless, fricative

v – Labio-dental, voiced fricative

Θ -  Dental,  voiceless, fricative

Ð – Dental, voiced, fricative

S- Alveolar, voiceless, fricative

Z – Alveolar, voiced, fricative

ʃ - Palatoalveolar, voiceless, fricative

ʒ - Palatoalveolar, voiced, fricative

h – Glottal, voiceless, fricative

r – Postalveolar, voiced, frictionless continuant (Also sometimes realised as an alveolar lateral continuant or as a tap when occurring between vowels as in very, realised by some speakers as a roll)

l – Alveolar, voiced, lateral continuant

w – Bilabial, voiced, semi-vowel continuant

j – Palatoalveolar, voiced, semi-vowel continuant

Note –

When t and d are followed by i: or j, they tend to become palatalised. 

B. Vowels

1. Pure Vowels or Monophthongs

ɪ - Front retracted, unrounded, slightly above half close ,  short iː - Front, unrounded, just below the close, long

e – Front,  unrounded (loosely spread lips), half way between half close and open,

æ – Front, slightly below the half open, unrounded (neutral) ɑː - Back but considerably advanced, unrounded ( neutral), open, long

ɒ - Back, just above the open, slightly rounded, short ɔː - Back, rounded, between half close and half open, long ʊ - Centralised back, rounded, just above half close, short u –Back, rounded, between close and half close, short uː - Back, close, rounded, long ə - Central, unrounded, below the half open, short

ɜː - Central, unrounded, between half close and half open, long

ʌ - Central, unrounded, between half open and half close, short

Diphthongs

eɪ - Glide from just below the half close, front unrounded position towards half close retracted unrounded front position

aɪ - Glide from the slightly retracted front, open, unrounded position towards half close, retracted front unrounded position

ɔɪ - Glide from the back, between open and half open, slightly rounded position towards the retracted front, half close, unrounded position

əʊ - Glide from the central, slightly below the half close, unrounded position towards the advanced back, just above the half close rounded position

aʊ - Glide from the advanced back, open unrounded position towards the advanced, half close rounded position

ɪə - Glide from the centralised front, just above the half close, unrounded position towards the half open, central, unrounded position

eə - Glide from the front, considerably above the half open, unrounded position towards the centralised, considerably below the half open, unrounded position

ʊə - Glide from the advanced back, half close, rounded position towards the centralised, half open unrounded position