Phonetics

The Sound of Sarcasm: Decoding Ironic Prosody

Ever wondered how your brain instantly knows "Oh, *great*" really means "This is terrible"? The secret lies in the 'sound'…

3 weeks ago

Why ‘Cot’ and ‘Caught’ Sound the Same

For millions of English speakers, the words "cot" and "caught" are pronounced identically, while for others, they remain distinct. This…

3 weeks ago

The Sound of a Merger: Spain’s ‘Y’ vs ‘LL’

Explore "yeísmo", the fascinating linguistic phenomenon where the Spanish 'll' and 'y' sounds have merged into one. This post delves…

3 weeks ago

The Lisp That Isn’t a Lisp: Spain’s Seseo

Ever wondered why some Spanish speakers seem to have a lisp when they pronounce 'c' or 'z'? It's not a…

3 weeks ago

Mapping the Mouth: The Genius of the IPA

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a universal system for transcribing the sounds of any language with scientific precision. Born…

3 weeks ago

The Great Consonant Shift of Romance Languages

Why does the Latin word for 'one hundred' (centum, 'kentum') sound so different in Italian (cento), French (cent), and Spanish…

3 weeks ago

The Source of the Nasal Twinge in French & Portuguese

What gives French and Portuguese their characteristic nasal sound? It’s not just a funny way of saying 'n' or 'm'—it's…

3 weeks ago

How to Whisper in a Tonal Language

Languages like Mandarin and Thai use pitch to distinguish words, so how can you possibly whisper? Speakers subconsciously use a…

3 weeks ago

The Glottal Stop: A Ghost in the Machine

It’s the subtle catch in your throat in the middle of "uh-oh" or the defining feature of a Cockney accent…

3 weeks ago

Recreating Ötzi the Iceman’s Voice

Scientists have peered into the life of Ötzi the Iceman, learning what he ate and how he died. Now, thanks…

3 weeks ago

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