phonologist
Studies speech sounds
A phonologist is a specialist in phonology—the study of how sounds function within languages.
Where phoneticians examine the physical properties of speech sounds, phonologists analyze how those sounds organize into systems, patterns, and rules.
The phonologist mapped the vowel shifts in regional dialects.
Non-distinctive sound variation
- distinctive featuresIdentifying traits or qualities
- syllable structureSound unit organization pattern
- assimilationAbsorbing into a whole
- dissimilationSounds becoming less alike
metathesis · neutralization · underlying form · derivation · tableaux · faithfulness
Pitch variation in speech
- stressPressure, mental or vocal
- toneQuality of sound
- rhythmPatterned stress and silence
- moraProsodic duration unit
prominence · phrasing · focus · tonal language · contour · uptalk
Written proof or instructions
- endangered languagesSpeech nearing extinction
- elicitationDrawing forth information
- transcriptionWritten version of speech
- IPASound notation system
native speaker · informant · wordlist · recording · annotation · corpus · cross-linguistic
Clear vocal expression
- acousticsStudy of sound transmission
- spectrogramFrequency-over-time display
- voicingExpressing aloud
- nasalityNose-resonant voice quality
aspiration · manner of articulation · waveform · phonation · airstream
Study of regional speech differences
- sociolinguisticsStudy of language variation
- variationChange from a norm
- acquisitionAct of obtaining something
- bilingualismProficiency in two languages
allophone
Non-distinctive sound variation
- distinctive featuresIdentifying traits or qualities
- syllable structureSound unit organization pattern
- assimilationAbsorbing into a whole
dissimilation · metathesis · neutralization · underlying form · derivation · tableaux · faithfulness
intonation
Pitch variation in speech
mora · prominence · phrasing · focus · tonal language · contour · uptalk
documentation
Written proof or instructions
- endangered languagesSpeech nearing extinction
- elicitationDrawing forth information
- transcriptionWritten version of speech
IPA · native speaker · informant · wordlist · recording · annotation · corpus · cross-linguistic
articulation
Clear vocal expression
- acousticsStudy of sound transmission
- spectrogramFrequency-over-time display
- voicingExpressing aloud
nasality · aspiration · manner of articulation · waveform · phonation · airstream
dialectology
Study of regional speech differences
- sociolinguisticsStudy of language variation
- variationChange from a norm
- acquisitionAct of obtaining something
bilingualism · accent · register · code-switching · universals
- scholarsscholar, professors, professor, researcher, researchers
- language professionalslexicographer, translator, interpreter, editor, proofreader
- linguistslinguist, comparativist, etymologist, philologist, morphologist
- voice professionalsvoice coach, vocal coach, voice actor, voice teacher, speech coach
- word loverslogophile, logophiles, word nerd, word nerds, wordsmith
- speech expertsspeech therapist, speech pathologist, SLP, voice therapist, speech coach
phonologistsemanticist
One who studies meaning
graphologist · lexicographer · morphologist · sociolinguist · psycholinguist
- phonological rulePrinciple governing pronunciation changes
- phonological processPattern altering spoken sounds