What is the difference between (a) phonemic versus phonetic transcription, and, (b) systematic versus impressionist phonetic transcription?

Question

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The Answer is (a) Phonemic transcription and phonetic transcription are two different ways of representing the sounds of speech.

Phonemic transcription focuses on the distinctive sounds of a particular language, known as phonemes. It uses a set of symbols to represent these phonemes, regardless of their variations in pronunciation. This means that phonemic transcription is more concerned with the abstract sound system of a language rather than the actual sounds produced by speakers.

On the other hand, phonetic transcription aims to capture the actual sounds produced by speakers, including variations in pronunciation, accent, and dialect. It uses a more detailed set of symbols to represent these specific sounds, known as allophones. Phonetic transcription is more concerned with the physical articulation and acoustic properties of speech sounds.

(b) Systematic phonetic transcription and impressionist phonetic transcription are two different approaches to representing speech sounds in detail.

Systematic phonetic transcription involves a precise and consistent representation of speech sounds, using a standardized set of symbols and diacritics to capture specific articulatory and acoustic features. This approach is often used in linguistic research and language teaching to provide a detailed and accurate analysis of speech sounds.

Impressionist phonetic transcription, on the other hand, is a more subjective and impressionistic representation of speech sounds. It may use non-standard symbols or ad-hoc notations to capture the overall impression of a speaker's pronunciation, without necessarily providing a detailed analysis of specific articulatory or acoustic features. This approach is often used in language learning materials or informal linguistic descriptions.

In summary, the difference between (a) phonemic versus phonetic transcription lies in their focus on abstract sound systems versus actual speech sounds, while the difference between (b) systematic versus impressionist phonetic transcription lies in their level of detail and precision in representing speech sounds.

What Is the Difference Between (A) Phonemic Versus Phonetic Transcription