Understanding Coughs: A Phonetic Analysis and How to Represent Them in IPA

Introduction

Phonetics is the study of speech sounds and their production, transcription, and perception. Coughs, despite their common and often inconvenient nature, are complex sounds that can be analyzed and described using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). In this article, we will explore the phonetic characteristics of coughs, from the softest to the hardest, and discuss how to represent them in the IPA. This knowledge is not only interesting from a linguistic standpoint but also useful for professionals such as speech therapists and audio engineers.

The Phonetic Properties of Coughs

Coughs can vary widely in their phonetic properties, depending on factors such as intensity, length, and the speaker's vocal tract. Understanding these properties involves a detailed examination of the subglottal processes and the supralaryngeal articulations that contribute to the unique acoustic and physical characteristics of a cough.

Representation of Soft Coughs in IPA

A softer cough would be represented as [???]. This is a geminate unvoiced aspirated ejective epiglottal trill, a complex sound that is often described as a “long soft puffy trilled ‘h’-like sound.” Let's break down this representation:

Geminate (Double): The use of a doubled symbol [??] indicates a longer, more protracted sound.

Unvoiced (Voiceless): The glottal stop [?] with no dot underneath it represents an unvoiced sound, meaning that no vibration occurs in the vocal cords.

Aspirated: This indicates that the sound is accompanied by a puff of air, which is often associated with the release of a consonant.

Ejective: An ejective consonant is produced by building up air pressure in the oral cavity, which is then suddenly released. In the case of a cough, this can be a intense burst of air.

Epiglottal: The epiglottis is a flap of tissue that separates the pharynx from the larynx during swallowing. In this context, the cough is produced with the epiglottis closing the vocal cords.

Trill: A trill involves the rapid and regular tapping or flapping of the articulator (in this case, the epiglottis) against a surface, producing a vibratory sound.

While this representation may sound complex, it accurately captures the acoustic and physiological aspects of a soft cough.

Representation of Hard Coughs in IPA

A harder cough would be represented differently. For example, [???] could be a suitable representation:

? (Geminated): This symbol [??] indicates a geminate, long sound.

Unique Consonant: The [?] itself represents a unique consonant that is found in some languages, such as Arabic. It is produced with the tip of the tongue against the back of the teeth, similar to a voiced uvular [q] but without voicing.

This harder cough sound is more explosive and forceful, often accompanied by a more sudden and intense release of air pressure.

Practical Applications

Understanding coughs in the IPA can have practical applications in various fields:

Speech Therapy: Speech therapists can use this knowledge to help clients with breathing and voice disorders improve their respiratory control and vocal mechanics. Audio Engineering: Sound engineers can use this information to create more accurate phonetic representations of coughs in recordings and voice-over work. Medical Research: Scientists studying coughing mechanisms and respiratory diseases can use IPA representations to better understand the acoustic characteristics of coughs.

Conclusion

Phonetic analysis of coughs, using the IPA, provides a detailed understanding of these complex sounds. From soft, long trilled sounds to harder, more explosive ones, the variety in cough sounds can be scientifically described and represented. This knowledge is not only interesting from a linguistic perspective but also has practical applications in healthcare, audio engineering, and research.