Applied Phonetics is the only comprehensive, systematic, and classroom tested approach to understanding phonetics and phonetic transcription currently available. This product provides an introduction to the field of phonetics and provides a complete overview of each of the sounds of American English. Workbook containing additional practice exercises, flashcards, and audio CDs also available.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Reference book mostly:
This is a reference book rather than a textbook. Theoretical questions are covered very scarcely, definitions of major phonetic and phonological concepts are inadequate for the students of linguistics. Suprasegmental phonetics is not dealt with at all (a brief chapter at the end of the book is not counted as a coverage of suprasegmentals). The book does not explain things. I do not recommend it as a major textbook for the students. Because of the fact that this book is featured as a textbook, I give it... more info
2nd edition recommended:
This is a great book but I would recommend getting the second edition (this edition has the subtitle "the sound of American English"). I compared the second and third editions and found that the contents do not differ between the two editions. However, spectrorgams and diagrams are sharper and easier to see in the second edition.
A book for all types:
The best thing about Edwards' "Applied Phonetics" is that it can be used by both the beginner and the expert phonetician. For beginners, the text is thorough but easy to understand. For the expert, there is extensive detailed information about each phoneme. The CD's that accompany the text are useful, though some of the accents used are not easy to understand. Highly recommended for students.
