Designing Your Sound System
Introduction to Phonology
Phonology is the study of how sounds function within a language. Every language selects a subset of possible human speech sounds and organizes them into a system of contrasting units called phonemes. A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound that can change the meaning of a word -- for example, in English, /p/ and /b/ are separate phonemes because 'pat' and 'bat' mean different things. When designing your conlang, you get to choose which sounds exist in your language and which do not. This is one of the most fundamental decisions you will make, because the phoneme inventory shapes how your language sounds, how easy it is to pronounce, and how distinct it feels from other languages. Most natural languages have between 20 and 40 phonemes, though some like Rotokas have as few as 11 and others like !Xoo have over 100.
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
The International Phonetic Alphabet is a standardized system for transcribing the sounds of any spoken language. Each symbol represents exactly one sound, eliminating the ambiguity of spelling systems like English where 'gh' can be silent, sound like /f/, or represent a velar fricative. As a conlanger, the IPA is your most important tool. It lets you precisely define the sounds of your language without relying on vague descriptions. Consonants in the IPA are organized by two features: place of articulation (where in the mouth the sound is made) and manner of articulation (how the airflow is modified). Vowels are organized by height (how open or closed the mouth is) and backness (where the tongue is positioned front to back). Learning the IPA is like learning to read sheet music -- it gives you the notation system you need to compose your language's sound.
Common Consonants
| IPA Symbol | Name | Example (English) | Place of Articulation | Manner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| /p/ | Voiceless bilabial plosive | 'p' in 'pat' | Bilabial | Plosive |
| /b/ | Voiced bilabial plosive | 'b' in 'bat' | Bilabial | Plosive |
| /t/ | Voiceless alveolar plosive | 't' in 'top' | Alveolar | Plosive |
| /d/ | Voiced alveolar plosive | 'd' in 'dog' | Alveolar | Plosive |
| /k/ | Voiceless velar plosive | 'k' in 'cat' | Velar | Plosive |
| /g/ | Voiced velar plosive | 'g' in 'go' | Velar | Plosive |
| /m/ | Voiced bilabial nasal | 'm' in 'man' | Bilabial | Nasal |
| /n/ | Voiced alveolar nasal | 'n' in 'no' | Alveolar | Nasal |
| /s/ | Voiceless alveolar fricative | 's' in 'sun' | Alveolar | Fricative |
| /z/ | Voiced alveolar fricative | 'z' in 'zoo' | Alveolar | Fricative |
| /f/ | Voiceless labiodental fricative | 'f' in 'fan' | Labiodental | Fricative |
| /v/ | Voiced labiodental fricative | 'v' in 'van' | Labiodental | Fricative |
| /l/ | Voiced alveolar lateral | 'l' in 'lamp' | Alveolar | Lateral |
| /r/ | Voiced alveolar trill | Trilled 'r' in Spanish 'perro' | Alveolar | Trill |
| /h/ | Voiceless glottal fricative | 'h' in 'hat' | Glottal | Fricative |
Common Vowels
| IPA Symbol | Name | Example (English) | Height | Backness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| /a/ | Open front unrounded | 'a' in 'father' (approx.) | Open | Front/Central |
| /e/ | Close-mid front unrounded | 'e' in Spanish 'mesa' | Close-mid | Front |
| /i/ | Close front unrounded | 'ee' in 'see' | Close | Front |
| /o/ | Close-mid back rounded | 'o' in Spanish 'solo' | Close-mid | Back |
| /u/ | Close back rounded | 'oo' in 'food' | Close | Back |
| /y/ | Close front rounded | 'u' in French 'lune' | Close | Front (rounded) |
| /ə/ | Mid central (schwa) | 'a' in 'about' | Mid | Central |
| /ɛ/ | Open-mid front unrounded | 'e' in 'bed' | Open-mid | Front |
| /ɔ/ | Open-mid back rounded | 'o' in 'thought' (some dialects) | Open-mid | Back |
Phonology Quiz
1. What is a phoneme?
2. How are consonants classified in the IPA?
3. Approximately how many phonemes do most natural languages have?
Exercise: Design Your Phoneme Inventory
Now it is time to select the sounds of your conlang. Choose a set of consonants and vowels that fit the aesthetic you described in Lesson 1. Consider the following tips: Start with a core set of universal sounds (/p, t, k, m, n, s, l/ and /a, i, u/) and add or remove from there. Think about what sounds you want to exclude -- the absence of certain sounds is just as important as their presence. Consider adding one or two unusual sounds to give your language a distinctive flavor (such as a click, a uvular trill, or a nasalized vowel). Keep your inventory manageable -- between 15 and 35 phonemes is a good range for a first conlang.