Submitted to the Board of Examiners as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Sarjana Pendidikan Islam (S.Pd.I) English Education Department of Teacher Training and Education Faculty State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Salatiga

A CORRELATIONAL STUDY BETWEEN THE
STUDENTS’ MASTERY ON SEGMENTAL AND
SUPRASEGMENTAL FEATURES TOWARDS THEIR
PRONUNCIATION ABILITY
(A Study for the Third Semester Students of English Education
Department of IAIN Salatiga in the Academic Year of 2015/2016)

A GRADUATING PAPER
Submitted to the Board of Examiners as a partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Sarjana Pendidikan Islam (S.Pd.I)
English Education Department of Teacher Training and Education Faculty
State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Salatiga

By:
TYAS PUJI ASTUTI
113 11 102
ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION FACULTY
STATE INSTITUTE FOR ISLAMIC STUDIES (IAIN)
SALATIGA
2016

i

ii

iii

iv

MOTTO

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an
attribute of the strong”
-Mahatma Gandhi-

v

DEDICATION

This graduating paper is dedicated to:
 My beloved parents Parjiyono and Sri Susini, who always love and

support me. You are my inspiration and my everything.
 My beloved brother Lintang Jati Dwi Minulyo, my sister Nadia Ayu
Salsabila.
 My big family that supported for my education and finishing this paper.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,
Assalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.

Alhamdulillahirobbil’alamin, all praise be to Allah SWT, the Most Gracious
and the Most Merciful who always bless and help the writer so the writer can
finished the graduating paper. Bless and mercy is upon great Prophet Muhammad
SAW for his guidance that leads the writer to the truth.
However, this paper will not be finished without support, advices, help and
encouragement from several people and institution. Hence, the writer would like
to express special thanks to:
1. Dr. Rahmat Haryadi, M.Ag, the Rector of Institute of Islamic Studies

(IAIN) of Salatiga.
2. Suwardi, M.Pd Dean of Teacher Training and Education Faculty of
Institute of Islamic Studies (IAIN) of Salatiga.
3. Noor Malihah, Ph.D, the Head of English Education Department and the
counselor of this paper, who gives great attention, suggestion and guidance
for this paper from beginning until the end.
4. Ruwandi, the second counselor who gives suggestions and guidance for
this paper.
5. All of lecturers and staff of institute of islamic studies IAIN Salatiga.
6. My parents and my big family who always support and advice me.

vii

viii

ABSTRACT
Astuti, Tyas Puji. 2016: A Correlational Study between the Students’ Mastery on
Segmental and Suprasegmental Features towards Theiir
Pronunciation Ability of the Third Semester, IAIN Salatiga,
Academic Year 2015/2016. A Graduating Paper. Teacher Training

and Education Faculty. English Education Department. State
Institute for Islamic Studies Salatiga. Consultant: Noor Malihah,
Ph.D.
Key Words: segmental features, suprasegmental features and pronunciation
ability.
The objectives of the study are to find out the correlation and to define
the significant of the correlation between the students’ mastery on segmental and
suprasegmental features toward their pronunciation ability of the third semester
students of English Education Department, IAIN Salatiga, Academic year
2015/2016.
The methodology of research was quantitative research especially
corelative study. The techniques of collecting data was written test to find out the
students’ mastery on segmental and suprasegemental test and oral test with
recording technique to find out the students’ pronunciation ability.
The writer finds there is no correlation between the students’ mastery on
segmental and suprasegmental features toward their pronunciation ability. The
correlation result is 0.208. These correlation results show that there is no
correlation between them because r-count less than r-table for N= 28 is 0.361.
The answer of statistical hypothesis is “there is no correlation between the
students mastery on segmental and suprasegmental features toward their

pronunciation ability”. So, alternative hypothesis (Ha) is accepted and null
hypothesis (Ho) is accepted.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE ....................................................................................................................... i
DECLARATION ................................................................................................... ii
ATTENTIVE COUNSELOR NOTES .................................................................. iii
CERTIVICATION PAGE .................................................................................... iv
MOTTO ...................................................................................................................v
DEDICATION ....................................................................................................... vi
ACKNOWLEDGMENT ....................................................................................... vii
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................... ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS .........................................................................................x
LIST OF FIGURE ............................................................................................... xiv
LIST OF TABLE ..................................................................................................xv

CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Research ...........................................................................1

B. Limitation of the Problem .............................................................................3
C. Research Questions ........................................................................................4
D. Purpose of the Research ................................................................................4
E. Benefits of the Research .................................................................................5
F. Statistical Hypothesis ....................................................................................5
G. Research Methodology ...................................................................................6
H. Definition of Key Terms ..............................................................................12
I. Organization of Paper ..................................................................................17

x

CHAPTER II : THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK
A. Previous Studies ..........................................................................................12
B. Pronunciation ...............................................................................................13
1. Concept of Pronunciation ......................................................................13
2. Definition of Pronunciation ....................................................................14
3. Types of Pronunciation...........................................................................14
4. Pronunciation Problem ...........................................................................15
a. Nature of Pronunciation ..................................................................15
b. Speaking is a Matter of Habit ..........................................................17

C. Phonetics ......................................................................................................18
1. Definition of Phonetics ..........................................................................18
2. Kinds of Phonetics .................................................................................18
a. Articulatory Phonetics ......................................................................18
b. Acoustic Phonetics ...........................................................................19
D. Organ of Speech ..........................................................................................19
E. Phonemics and Phonetics Transcription ......................................................21
F. English Speech Sounds ................................................................................21
1. Consonants ............................................................................................22
2. Vowel ....................................................................................................28
3. Diphthong ..............................................................................................35
G. Segmental and Suprasegmental Features ....................................................36
1. Segmental Features ................................................................................37
2. Suprasegmental Features .......................................................................37

xi

a. Stress ................................................................................................37
b. Length ..............................................................................................41
c. Pitch .................................................................................................43

d. Intonation .........................................................................................44
H. Theoretical Framework ...............................................................................48
I. Alternative Hypothesis ................................................................................48
CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
A. Research Setting .........................................................................................50
1. Research Location ...................................................................................50
2. Profile of Institution ...............................................................................50
B. Research Methodology ................................................................................51
1. Research Approach .................................................................................51
2. Type of Research.....................................................................................52
3. Population and Sample............................................................................54
a. Population ........................................................................................54
b. Sample ..............................................................................................54
1) Technique of Sampling ..............................................................55
4. Techniques of Collecting Data ...............................................................57
5. Technique of Data Analysis ...................................................................59
6. Instrument ..............................................................................................60
7. Data Analyzing Method .........................................................................63
C. Statistical Hypothesis .................................................................................66

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CHAPTER IV: RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DATA ANALYSIS
A. Research Findings and Data Analysis .........................................................68
1. Pilot of the Research ..............................................................................68
2. Data Presentation ....................................................................................74
3. Data Analysis .........................................................................................79
B. Hypothesis test .............................................................................................85
C. Research Summary .......................................................................................86

CHAPTER V

: CLOSURE

A. Conclusion ...................................................................................................88
B. Suggestion ...................................................................................................89

BIBLIOGRAPHIES
CURRICULUM VITAE
APPENDIXES

xiii

LIST OF TABLE AND FIGURE

Figure 2.1
Figure 2.2
Figure 3.1
Table 2.1
Table 2.2
Table 2.3
Table 2.4
Table 2.5
Table 2.6
Table 2.7
Table 2.8
Table 3.1
Table 3.2
Table 3.3
Table 3.4

Table 4.1
Table 4.2
Table 4.3
Table 4.4
Table 4.5
Table 4.6
Table 4.7
Table 4.8
Table 4.9
Table 4.10
Table 4.11

- Organ of Speech ....................................................................... 37
- Vowels Diagrams ..................................................................... 30
- Schema of Multivariate Correlation ........................................ 64
- Consonants Sounds …………………………………….. …... 23
- Consonats ................................................................................. 19
- Vowel Sounds ……………………………………………...... 21
- Vowels Sounds ........................................................................ 22
- Diphthongs …………………………………………............... 34
- Examples of the High – Low Falling Intonation (31#)… …… 45
- Examples of the Mid – High Rising Intonation (23//).............. 46
- Examples of the High – Sustained Intonation (32/).................. 47
- The Segmental and Suprasegmental Features Scoring Rubric..61
- Interval of Class ....................................................................... 62
- The Pronunciation Scoring Rubric........................................... 63
- Pearson Coefficient.................................................................. 65
- The Total Score Result of Indicator and Predictor on Tests… 68
- Reliability Test Results of Segmental Tests ………………... 70
- The Total Score Result of Indicator and Predictor on Tests .. 70
- Reliability Test Results of Suprasegmental Tests .................. 71
- Segmental Mastery Results .................................................... 73
- Suprasegmental Mastery Results ........................................... 75
- Pronunciation Tests Results ................................................... 77
and
…………………........... 78
- Correlation between
towards ) ………….........….... 80
- Correlation between
towards ) ……………….....…. 81
- Correlation between
and
towards ) ………….. 83
- Correlation between

xiv

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

This chapter focuses on describing about the introduction of the research.
It includes the background of the research that discusses the students’ mastery on
segmental and suprasegmental features toward their pronunciation ability.
A. Background of the Research
People use a language to communicate to each other. They deliver or
express their idea, message and their feeling through a language. It can be
divided into two types such as written and spoken language. A written
language is a language in a written form. The written language which is
uttered is called spoken language.
If someone wants to learn a foreign language like Indonesian learn
English, there are many interruptions that make them difficult to understand
about their language not only in written form but also in spoken form.
According to Ramelan (2003: 5), The difficulties appear because this is not
their language so they have to recognize new vocabulary, unfamiliar ways to
arrange the words into sentence and they have to concern how to pronounce
with their pronunciation.
The different sounds in one’s mother tongue makes them hard to
pronounce a foreign language they learn. Sometimes they must force
themselves to pronounce the words into a better pronunciation. To be able to

1

pronounce some foreign language sounds well, they need to understand the
system of the foreign language sounds. They have to practice their listening,
then produce the utterance. Before that they must know the word and the
phonetics transcription referring to speech sound represented visually of
written symbols or writing which based on the principle that one symbol
represent one sound only and never any other.
To produce a well pronounced utterance, a learner should consider
phonetic transcriptions or segmental features. Segmental features refers to
sound units arranged in sequential order. For example a word ‘good’, there are
3 sounds: /g/, /ʊ/ and /d/.
In addition, a learner should also consider the suprasegmental features.
According to Ramelan (2003: 10), suprasegmental features refer to features
such as stress, pitch, length, intonation, and other features that always
accompany the production of segmentals.
These features cannot be divided in practice. But when we produce
sound, we can, then identify them, theoretically. This means, when a person
produce the sounds correctly, especially on the use of intonation and stress
pattern, the meaning of stress of sounds into a word can be understood well.
Therefore, the existence of segmental and suprasegmental features
make us know and understand how to differentiate the different sounds well.
When we know the sounds, we can pronounce it well. It happens because both
features above are able to distinguish meaning. So, if a person pronounces the
word incorrectly, the meaning will be incorrect.

2

Based on the above description, thus, the writer is interested to
investigate whether English Foreign Language (EFL) students who have
understanding about segmental and suprasegmental features well, they have
good pronunciation or not. In the other word, the writer wants to find out
whether or not there is any correlation between segmental and suprasegmental
features toward pronunciation ability. For this reason the writer conducts a
research on The Correlational Study between the Students’ Mastery on
Segmental and Suprasegmental Features toward Their Pronunciation
Ability (A Study for the Third Semester of English Education
Department of IAIN Salatiga in the Academic Year of 2015/2016).

B. Limitation of The Problem
This is a correlational study which is limited to an investigation on the
segmental and suprasegmental and suprasegmental features dealing with
students’ pronunciation ability. In addition, the subject are the third semester
students for English Education Department of IAIN Salatiga in academic year
of 2015/2016 in Phonetics D class.

C. Research Questions
The questions of research can be formulated into the following
questions:
1. Is there a correlation between the students’ mastery on segmental and
suprasegmental features toward students’ pronunciation ability for the

3

third semester of English Education Department of IAIN Salatiga in the
academic year of 2015/2016?
2. To what extent the correlation of the students’ mastery on segmental and
suprasegmental features toward students’ pronunciation ability for the
third semester of English Education Department of IAIN Salatiga in the
academic year of 2015/2016?

D. Purpose of the Research
The aims of this research are:
1. To find out if there is any correlation between the students’ mastery on
segmental and suprasegmental features toward students’ pronunciation
ability of the third semester for English Education Department of IAIN
Salatiga in the academic year 2015/2016.
2. To define the significant of the correlation between the students’ mastery
on segmental and suprasegmental features toward students’ pronunciation
ability of the third semester for English Education Department of IAIN
Salatiga in the academic year of 2015/2016.

E. Benefits of the Research
The results of this research can be used to find the informations of the
three variables namely: segmental, suprasegmental features and pronunciation
ability for the third semester of English Education Department of IAIN
Salatiga in the academic year of 2015/2016. The correlation of three aspects

4

can be applied as a consideration to improve each other. Besides that, the
results of this research are expected to contribute to knowledge on language
teaching methodology, especially on how to improve the students’
pronunciation ability. The results of this research are also expected to be
beneficial for other writers who want to conduct a similar research on
phonetics and phonology in language teaching.

F. Statistical Hypothesis
Hypothesis is a temporary answer to the research problem, until
proven by the data collected (Arikunto, 2010:110). In this research, the writer
proposes the statistical hypothesis as follow:
1. There is no correlation between segmental and suprasegmental features
toward pronunciation ability. If the alternative hypothesis (Ha) is rejected
it is shows that there are no correlation between the students’ mastery on
segmental and suprasegmental features toward pronunciation ability. In
another words the writer may say that null hypothesis (Ho) is accepted.
2. On

the

contrary,

there

is

correlation

between

segmental

and

suprasegmental features toward pronunciation ability. If the alternative
hypothesis (Ha) is accepted it is shows that there is correlation between the
students’ mastery on segmental and suprasegmental features toward
pronunciation ability. In another words the writer may say that null
hypothesis (Ho) is rejected.

5

G. Research Methodology
1. Type of research
The type of the research is quantitative. The writer describes all
phenomenon that arise from the subject of the research factually,
accurately by statistical method. Sugiyono (2010: 35) states that a
quantitative study that is consistent with the quantitative paradigm is an
inquiry of social or human problems, based on testing of a theory
composed of variables, measured with the numbers and analyzed with
statistical procedures, in order to determine whether the predictive
generalizations of the theory hold true.
2. Population
Sugiyono (2010:117) defines that population is the generalization
areas that consist of an object or subject that has quality and certain
characteristics that carried out by researcher to learn and to draw the
conclusions. The population of this research is the third semester students
of English Education Department of IAIN Salatiga in the academic year of
2015/2016. The total class that has taken Phonetics is six classes.
3. Sample
Sample is a part of the population from which the writer takes the
research data. According to Sugiyono (2010: 118), sample is a part of the
total and the characteristic which is has by the population.
Based on that statement, this sample is called total population
sampling. According to Laerd (2012), that total population sampling is a

6

type of purposive technique where you choose to examine the entire
population (i.e. the total population) that have a particular set of
characteristics.
The sample of this research is the the third semester of English
Education Department of IAIN Salatiga in the academic year of
2015/2016. The research select Phonetics D class because the class have
learned about segmental and suprasegmental features. The other class have
not yet studied the materials before. The total number in Phonetics D class
is twenty eight students.
4. Method of Data Collection
Data collection method is about how the writer collects the data. In
this study, the method of data collection is through giving test and
recording.
Test is a stimulus instrument which is given to a person, which the
purpose is to get the answer that can be used to decide a score number
(Margono, 2004: 170).
5. Technique of Data Analysis
To determine the correlation between between the students’
mastery on segmental and suprasegmental features toward students’
pronunciation ability of the third semester of English Education
Department of IAIN Salatiga in the academic year of 2015, the researcher
uses the Pearson product moment correlation in the SPSS statistic program
version 16 for windows.

7

According to Priyatno (2009: 1), SPSS or Statistical Product and
Service Solution is a software program that is widely used for conducting
statistical analysis of data. It provides tutorials to analyze the data.
The ways to interpret the correlation in SPSS are:
a. If the figures show the correlation coefficient 0, the two variables do
not have a relationship,
b. If the figures of correlation coefficient close to 1, the two variables have
a stronger relationship.
In the correlation, there are two directions of correlations;
unidirectional and not unidirectional. In SPSS program named two tailed.
The writer uses SPSS statistical version.16 for windows to find out
the correlation between the students’ mastery on segmental and
suprasegmental features toward students’ pronunciation ability of the third
semester of English Department of IAIN Salatiga in the academic year of
2015. The writer has some reasons in using this program. Santoso (2000:
7) states that there are three superiority of this program rather than
conventional, such as:
a. Speed
It can calculate the data in big amount and does not need a long
time to find out the result of the correlation.
b. Accuracy
The result is more dependable.
c. Reliability

8

SPSS program is process of the data continually and do not has
a limitation of fatigue.

H. Definition of Key Terms
There are several key terms dealing with this research that the writer
should define as the following.
1. Segmental and suprasegmental features
Ramelan (2003: 22) argues that when speaker produces an
utterances, there are two features that can be distinguished:
a. Segmental features which refer to sound units arranged in sequential
order or phonetics transcription of the word.
b. Suprasegmental features refer to such as stress, pitch, length,
intonation and other features that always accompany the production of
segmental.
2. Pronunciation
Pronunciation is the way in which a language or particular word or
sound is spoken (Oxford Learner’s Pocket Dictionary).
When speaking of word or uttered it, speaker must consider the
correct pronunciation because it does not only make us aware of different
sounds and sound features but also it improves the speaker speak
immeasurably. When they have concentrate on sound showing where they
are made in the mouth.

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I.

Organization of the Paper
Chapter I discusses about the background of the research,
limitation of the problem, research questions, benefits of the problem,
statistical hypothesis, research methodology, definition of key terms. In
the end of this chapter, the writer informs organization of the paper.
Chapter II presents some theoretical foundation of the students’
mastery on segmental and suprasegmental features toward pronunciation
ability and possible the correlation both of them.
Chapter III presents research setting, research methodology which
presents the discussion on research approach, variables of the research,
population, sample, technique of collecting the data, technique data
analyzing, and the instrument which are used to collect data, data
analyzing method and the statistical hypothesis of the students’ mastery on
segmental and suprasegmental features toward pronunciation ability.
Chapter IV concerns with research findings and data analysis. This
chapter covers data presentation and discussions of the findings. To find
the correlation between the students’ mastery on segmental and
suprasegmental features toward pronunciation ability. In the end of this
chapter, the writer presents the research summary.
Chapter V presents closure which contains conclusions and
suggestions. The last terms of this research are a bibliography and
appendices.

10

CHAPTER II
THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK

In this chapter, the writer exposed a comprehensive theoretical framework
of research. It aims at giving direction to what extent the research is conducted.
The research concerns on the correlational students’ mastery on segmental and
suprasegmental features towards pronunciation ability of the third semester
students of English Education Department of IAIN Salatiga in the academic year
of 2015/2016.
A. Previous Researches
In completing this graduating paper, the writer takes review from other
previous researches which investigate the related topic. Vauziah (2009)
conducts a study on a correlation between the use of English in daily life and
speaking skill. The results of her study show that, when the students spoke
English in their daily life, they would improve their speaking skill because
their environment that had a rule and forced them to speak with English in
their daily activity, so they were able to enhance it unconsciously.
Similar research is also conducted by Hudaya (2010). He investigates
about a correlative study between translation and speaking skill. The points of
his research are the most of students that had mastered translation and they

11

could do exercise given by their teacher, they did not have difficulties to
endeavor to speak English correctly.
Other research that has similarity is conducted by Nuryanto (2014). He
investigates about the influence of students’ phonetic mastery toward their
fluency on pronunciation. The result of his research is the level of
pronunciation of subjects mostly was intermediate and some of them is good
because of their phonetics mastery. Then, he concluded that there was
influence between them.
From the previous work, it is clear that this graduating paper, though,
discussed similar areas with other preview works, the writer looks at
specifically on pronunciation. Moreover, the variables that writer investigates
are segmental and suprasegmental features. These features make this
graduating paper different from other works.
B. Pronunciation
1. Concept of Pronunciation
Pronunciation is knowledge of how to say a word – that is how to
pronounce it (Harmer, 2001: 26). Individuals may be possible to
pronounce a word differently at different times. The reason is human of
speech organs cannot produce and reproduce sounds with exactly in the
same qualities. Whereas, when the speaker pronounce a word inexactly, it
will change the meaning or do not give the meaning and make confused
and bring about misunderstanding to the hearer. They will face people that

12

have different pronunciation in speaking. They have to learn how people
pronounce inevitably. According to Ramelan (2003: 2), there are no two
people who speak exactly alike. Differences in pronunciation between one
speaker and another are caused by geographical, social and historical
factors; or they may also be caused by individual peculiarities such as
stuttering, lisping, or other speech deficiencies.
2. Definition of Pronunciation
Pronunciation is the learning process that learner have to practice
their listening target language. It stimulates to recognize the new
vocabulary. After that, they will practice to speak. In listening and
speaking process they are able to interpret and producing phonological
features respectively.
Manser (2011: 325) writes that pronunciation is the way in which
language or a particular word or sound is spoken. Implying the definition,
it deals with the way individual speak language. There will be many
obstacles when learning pronunciation of a foreign language.
The writer is able to take point from the definitions above that
pronunciation is the way language is spoken with the process of
interpreting and recognizing word and the manner how the word is uttered.
3. Types of Pronunciation
Many cases that make two people who have the same nationality
have different ways to pronounce their own language. If they have to
acquire pronunciation in acceptable foreign language, it cannot be refused

13

when they pronounce it exactly alike. For example letter r in words such
as dark, part, better, upper will be pronounced differently by different
person. The treatment that has been given by speakers who use more than
one style of pronunciation when these words are uttered will be
distinguished. There are two styles of speech. According to Jones (1966:
3) they are rapid colloquial style and slow formal style and there are
various shades between the two extremes. Supporting the definition
Ramelan (2003: 2) says that the style that is suitable for foreign students is
Slower Colloquial Style which is intermediate between styles that is
classified by Jones. Why it is suitable for them, because pronunciation can
be learned.
4. Pronunciation Problem
The Indonesian people learning foreign language especially
English will find problem in many aspects. They will recognize new
vocabulary, sound system and etc. One of problems that will interrupt
them is pronunciation. Not only for Indonesian learner but also all of
foreign learners face this condition. Many problems that can be analyzed,
are:
a. Nature of pronunciation problem
It causes their first language or their mother tongue is different
from target language. They produce new sound by their organs of
speech that have been adapted with their mother tongue, whereas the
way to produce the target language is different. Moreover it has not

14

uttered yet. This obstacle makes them learn to produce the sound as the
native speaker. For example, they hear or listen the native speaker
pronounce which will stimulate them to imitate how their ways of
moving speech organ. Ramelan (2003: 8) states that this practice is a
matter of training to move the organ of speech, or also called mouthgymnastic. They have to concern the speaker when they utter a word.
Watching and listening carefully is the way to imitate. Although, it is
more difficult to make our mouth produce it. Sometime it looks like
strange, but after a long time, they will be familiarized and endeavor to
pronounce it correctly. The habit that we make will make us better. In
addition, the science dealing with such matters is called Phonetics. It
concerns the study of speech sound.
Another problem that interrupt is the identification of the
foreign language sounds. Before they produce sound they must know
about articulatory quality that is the nature characteristic of speech
sound. For example, vowel sound such as short /ɪ/ and long /i:/. When
we pronounce pig /pɪg/, the vowel of /ɪ/ is uttered short vowel. Beside
that, if we say see /si:/, the vowel of /i:/ is pronounced long vowel.
Leaners must be able to identify directly when the word is uttered. This
problem that burden them and make them try to learn the acoustic
quality of alphabet that can have clear understanding of distinctive
sound in English called phonetic alphabet.

15

After we know the theory, the phonetic transcription of the word
from phonetic alphabet, the habit of hearing the speaker pronounce
word. The other problem appear when producing or trying to pronounce
word is the way to utter word such as, stress, length, pitch, and
intonation that are called suprasegmental features. It will influence the
meaning if people pronounce a word with different stress or intonation.
It will make the hearer misunderstood.
b. Speaking is a matter of habit
Many difficulties appear when learners study a foreign
language. They recognize new sound system, vocabulary, and make a
sentence that is different and unfamiliar. Their acquisition of language
is their mother tongue that the speech sound and organ of speech have
set become habit. That is make them difficult to utter a foreign words.
The different condition, when they move to place that the
foreign language uses and active for communication. Someone will
become a new body that has second live in this place. It is potential
that can change them to make new habit. According to Ramelan (2003:
4), this potential ability is what called Language Acquisition Device by
Transformational Linguist. Why he said that because we like re-born
again and accept new language communication habit through imitating
and practicing.
Continuing from the learning process someone that face LAD
have to resist or get strong opposition the old habit of speaking which

16

called “habit interference”. Producing a new sound, find the similar
sound from the mother tongue, and replace it with their stock of
sounds.
C. Phonetics
1. Definition of Phonetics
According to Carr (2008: 127), phonetics is the study of human of
speech sound. The common thing people have of the language is
speaking it and hearing it. It is universally

known

that

many

languages, especially English, have different writing system and
the sound people make in speaking them. Thus, people need some
accurate methods of transcribing the sound of languages. It is
phonetics that provides the accurate means of describing the sound of
language, while phonemics provides the efficient system of writing the
sounds. The smallest unit of sounds which distinguishes meaning is
called Phoneme.
2. Kinds of Phonetics
Ramelan (2003: 1) divides phonetics into three kinds, such as:
a. Articulatory phonetics
Articulator phonetics studies the mechanism of speech
production by the speech organs and the classification of the
sounds of language produced. This study takes the point of view
of their ways of productions of organ of speech.
b. Acoustic phonetics

17

Acoustics phonetics studies the sounds of language from
the view point of the sounds as physical phenomena. Belong to the
study is the study of frequency, amplitude, and intensity of sounds.
It has more relation with physical attributes.
D. Organ of Speech
Speech sound are able to produce if there are obstructions in vocal
organs. These are directly determine quality of speech sounds (Marsono,
2008: 6). Without obstructions in speech organs, there is not a sounds as
signals to deliver messages in speaking a language. Speech or vocal organs
include mouth and the respiratory organs. We know that the function of mouth
is not only as a part of digestion but also as a part of production speech sound.
The respiratory organs includes the nose, the pharynx, the larynx, the wind
pipe, and the lungs that are used to make us breathing and preserve our live.
Both of them have important role for creatures in the world.
According to Ramelan (2003: 17), there are two types of sounds:
1) Ingressive sounds are sounds produced by in-going air,
The process when the air (oxygen) is breathed in through the nose
into lungs, the lungs expand because the diaphragm up and depress the
lungs up. Then, the pressure is higher outside than inside and the air enter
to the lungs. That is the process of inhale air that is able to produce sound
if there is interruptions even tough is rarely used.
2) Exgressive sounds are sounds produced by out-going air.

18

It is being opposite with ingressive sounds. The sounds that are
produced by out-going air is usually used. When the lungs contract, the
diaphragm is pressed and the pressure in the lungs are higher inside, the air
is driven outward. If there is interruptions will produce sounds.
The types of speech sounds produced classified on the basis of the
manner by which the out-going air is interrupted by articulators, and what
articulators used to obstruct the out-going air.
The speech organs that are used to obstruct the out-going air in
production of speech sounds are called articulators. It involves what is
available in the mouth and larynx.
Figure 2.1
Organs of speech

Ramelan (2003: 20)

19

E. Phonemics and Phonetic Transcription
Phonemics is the study of sounds of language and its function as
the differentiator of meaning, while phoneme is the smallest unit of
language that differentiates meaning of words (Susandi, 2010:1).
Similarly, Ramelan (2003: 1) defines phonemics as the study of speech
sound with a view to finding out the significant units of sounds in given
language.
To distinguish phonemics and phonetics symbol that makes clearly
is putting on the symbols. Carr (2008: 126) explains phonemics
transcription uses the symbol obligues (/…/) which contains only symbols
representing the phonemes of the language and it ought to show
allophones which is a conditioned variant of a significant group of sounds
which occurs in a fixed and predictable environment. For example, there is
word pull, the phonemics transcriptions of the word is /pʊl/. The other
defining, phonetics transcription uses square brackets ([…]) and from the
example above there is an aspiration /p/ and velarisation /l/ would be
represented in the phonetics transcription, the phonetics transcriptions of
the word is [pʰʊɫ]. Although, most of the dictionaries use phonemics
symbols that put on phonetics transcription and without allophones, the
writer use phonemics transcriptions in this study.

20

F. English Speech Sound
In this research, the writer just learn about English sound system
English speech sound can be classified into 24 consonants, 12 vowels and
9 diphthongs (Indriyani, 2003: 8).
1. Consonants
Ramelan (2003: 99) defines that consonants is negatively
defined that is sounds which are not vowels. Whether vowel has been
defined as a voiced sound (resonant) during the production of which
the air goes out through the mouth (oral) along of the middle part of
the tongue (central) in a continuous stream without meeting such a
narrowing in the mouth as would result in audible friction.
The other explanation is defined by Jones (1966:12). He states
that consonants includes all breathed sounds, all voiced sounds formed
by means of an breathed of an obstruction in the mouth, all those in
which there is a narrowing of the air passage giving rise to frictional
noise, and certain sounds which are ‘gliding’.
From the definitions above the writer can write that the speech
sounds of the alphabet which are not vowels, they are called
consonants. Consonants are pronounced by stopping the air from
flowing easily through the mouth, especially by closing the lips or
touching the teeth with the tongue.
There are 24 consonants in English, namely:

21

Tabel 2.1
Consonants Sounds
No.

Phonemes

Keywords

Phonetics transcriptions

1.

/p/

pig

/pɪg/

2.

/b/

book

/bʊk/

3.

/t/

tea

/ti:/

4.

/d/

day

/deɪ/

5.

/k/

key

/ki:/

6.

/g/

go

/gəʊ/

7.

/f/

fine

/fain/

8.

/v/

very

/very/

9.

/s/

sea

/si:/

10.

/z/

zoo

/zu:/

11.

/ʃ/

she

/ʃi:/

12.

/ʒ/

azure

/æʒər/

13.

/tʃ/

chair

/tʃer/

14.

/dʒ/

jail

/dʒeɪl/

22

15.

/θ/

thin

/θɪn/

16.

/ð/

this

/ðɪs/

17.

/m/

man

/mæn/

18.

/n/

now

/naʊ/

19.

/ŋ/

sing

/sɪŋ/

20.

/h/

how

/haʊ/

21.

/l/

like

/laɪk/

22.

/r/

right

/raɪt/

23.

/w/

wait

/weɪt/

24.

/j/

you

/ju:/

(Indriani, 2003: 8)
a. Classification of consonants
According to Indriani (2003: 8), consonants can be categorized
or classified based on:
1) The place or point of articulation the consonants
If we classify them according to the place which it
articulate, we distinguish nine main classes:
a) Bilabial

23

The two lips are the primary articulators, e.g.: /b/, /p/, /m/,
and /w/.
b) Labio-dental
The lower lip articulates with the upper teeth, e.g.: /f/, /v/.
c) Dental
The tongue tip and rims articulate with the upper teeth, e.g.:
/θ/ and /ð/.
d) Alveolar
The blade, or the tip and blade, of the tongue articulate with
the alveolar ridge, e.g.: /t/, /d/, /l/, /n/, /s/, and /z/.
e) Post-alveolar
The tip of the tongue articulate with the rear part of the
alveolar ridge, e.g.: /r/
f) Palato-alveolar
The blade or the tip and the blade of the tongue articulate
with the alveolar ridge and there is at the same time a raising of
the front of the tongue towards the hard palate, e.g.: /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/,
and /dʒ/.
g) Palatal
The front of the tongue articulates with the hard palate, e.g.
/j/
h) Velar

24

The back of the tongue articulates with the soft palate, e.g.
/k/, /g/, and /ŋ/.
i) Glottal
On obstruction, or narrowing causing friction but no
vibration, between the vocal cords, e.g.: /h/.
2) The manner of articulation
If we classify consonants according to the manner in which
the organs articulates them, we distinguish fives main classes:
a) Complete closure
(1) Plosive
A complete closure at some point in the vocal tract,
behind which the air pressure builds up and can be released
explosively, e.g.: /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, and /g/.
(2) Affricative
A complete closure at some point in the mouth,
behind which the air pressure builds up; the separation of
the organs is slow compared with that of a plosive, so that
friction is a characteristics second element of sound, e.g.:
/tʃ/ and /dʒ/.
(3) Nasal
A complete closure at some point in that mouth but
soft palate being lowered the air escapes through the nose,
e.g.: /m/, /n/, and /ŋ/.

25

b) Intermittent closure
(1) Roll
A series of rapid intermittent closure or taps made
by a flexible organ on a firmer surface, e.g.: /r/ (the tongue
tip taps against the alveolar rigde)
c) Partial closure
(1) Lateral
A partial closure is made at some point in the
mouth, the air-stream being allowed to escape on one or
both sides of the contact, e.g.: /l/
d) Narrowing
(1) Fricative
Two organs approximate to such an extent that the
airstream passes through them friction, e.g.: /f/, /v/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/,
/s/, /z/, /θ/, /ð/, and /h/.
e) Glides
(1) Semi-vowels
They are usually includes in the consonantal
category on functional grounds, but from the point of view
of the phonetic description they are more properly treated
as vowel glides, e.g.: /w/, and /j/.

Table 2.2

26

Consonants

O
F
A
R
T
I
C
U
L
A
T
I
O
N

COMPLETE ORAL CLOSURE
voiceless
Plosive
voiced
voiceless
Affricative
voiced
voiceless
Nasal
voiced
INTERMINENT CLOSURE
voiceless
Roll
voiced
PARTIAL CLOSURE
voiceless
Lateral
voiced
NARROWING
voiceless
Fricative
voiced
GLIDE
voiceless
Semi vowel
voiced

p
b

t
d

k
g
tʃ
dʒ

m

ŋ

n

r

l
f
v

w

θ
ð

ʃ
ʒ

h

j

Indriani, (2003: 11)
2. Vowels
Vowels are sounds which are made without any kind of closure
to the escape of air through the mouth (Syafei, 1988:11). A vowel is
also different from consonant in terms of its way of production. It be
defined as a voiced sound during the production of which the air
passes out freely and continuously throughout the middle of the mouth
without such narrowing as would cause any audible friction (Ramelan,
2003: 50).

27

GLOTTAL

VELAR

PALATAL

PALATO-ALVEOL

POST ALVEOLAR

ALVEOLAR

DENTAL

BILABIAL

LABIO-DENTAL

PLACE OF ARTICULATION
M
A
N
N
E
R

From the definition above the writer can take a point that vowel
is resulted when there is a closure in the speech organ, so that
there is no articulation
There are 12 cardinal vowels in English, they are:
Table 2.3
Vowels sounds
No

Phonemes

Keyword

Phonetics transcription

1.

/i:/

tea

/ti:/

2.

/ɪ/

sit

/sɪt/

3.

/e/

pen

/pen/

4.

/ᴂ/

sat

/sᴂt/

5.

/ᴈ:/

bird

/bᴈ:d/

6.

/ə/

ago

/əgo/

7.

/ɑ:/

art

/ɑ:t/

8.

/ᴧ/

up

/ᴧp/

9.

/u:/

food

/fu:t/

10.

/ʊ/

good

/gʊd/

11.

/ɔ:/

war

/wɔ:r/

12.

/ɒ/

not

/nɒt/

Ramelan, (1994: 12-13)

28

Vowels is classified in accordance with three factors. They are:
a. Which part of the tongue is raised,
b. How high in the mouth some part of the tongue is raised (the degree of
the raising the tongue)
c. The position of two lips that is whether the two lips are rounded or
unrounded.
The chart of English vowels according to their point of
articulation in the mouth.
Figure 2.2
Vowels diagrams

Ramelan, (2003: 56)
1) The part of the tongue is raised
The tongue is divided into three parts. They are the front, the
central and the back of the tongue.
a) The front vowel

29

According to Ramelan (2003: 53) when the front of the
tongue is raised, to modify the sound already produced in the
larynx, the vowel sound so produced is called a front vowel.
The other description from Mcmahon (2002: 67), he
described that front vowels are produced with the front of the
tongue raised towards the hard palate (although not raised enough,
remember, to obstruct the airflow and cause local friction; vowels
are approximants).
The writer gets a point that front vowel is produced when
the tongue is raised towards the hard palate although sometimes it
is not enough raised. In English, there are some vowels that include
in front vowels, they are /ɪ/, /ɛ/, /ᴂ/, /i:/
b) The central vowel
The vowel that the position of the front and the back of the
tongue is called central vowel. The raising of the body of the
tongue towards the area where the hard and soft palate join. Central
vowels are exemplified in /ə/, /ᴈ:/, and /ᴧ/. The most common of
these in English, [ə], is known as schwa, and only appears in
unstressed syllables.
c) The back vowel
When the tongue is raised on the back of the tongue,
towards soft palate or velum is called back vowel. The vowels that
are exemplified in /ɒ/, /ʊ/, /ɑː/, /ɔː/, and /uː/

30

2) The degree of raising the tongue
On the discussion about the part of the tongue, the topic that
learned is about where the part of the tongue that is raised.
Many degrees of raising, when we produce vowels such as
open, half-open, half-close and close vowels.
a) Open vowels
The low degree in mouth or the bottom of the mouth that
the tongue is not raised. The mouth feel in open condition. That’s
called open vowels, they are /ᴂ/, /ᴧ/, /ɒ/, /ɑː/, and /ɔː/
b)

Close vowels
The highest degree in the mouth in such way that it does not
surpass the so-called vowel limit, and the vowel that is produced is
called a close vowel. The vowels are /ɪ/, /i:/, /ʊ/, and /u:.

c) Half-open and half close
Between open and close vowel there are two extremes in the
degree of raising of the tongue that called the close and open
positions, two more degrees are recognized, which are equidistant
from first two degrees mentioned before and from each other,
which is called half-open and half-close positions.
3) Rounded and Unrounded Vowels
Vowels in any of the previous categories may be either
rounded, where the lips are protruded forwards, or unrounded, where
the lips may be either in a neutral position, or sometimes slightly

31

spread. However, it is overwhelmingly more common cross
linguistically for back vowels to be rounded than for front ones, and
for high vowels to be rounded than low ones.
The other words, when you say /i:/ in seat and /u:/ in suit and
s