Phonetics refers to the branch of linguistics that deals with the sounds of speech and their production, combination, description and representation by written symbols. This representation is usually referred to as the phonetic transcription in which systems of phonetic writing are provided and aim at the accurate representation of any sequence of speech sounds.
Vowels refer to the human sounds that are produced without any obstruction to the flow of air when it passes from the larynx to the lips. That is, there is no closure between the organs of speech when air passes through them. The vowel is the sound which has a central, major, syllabic function (the vowel is usually in the middle of words). In the English language for instance, only a vowel or a diphthong can be the nucleus in a syllable. Nevertheless, the consonant is said to be of minor importance in the syllable.
- Enseignant: Amina Zemieche