At 10:12:17 AM on Thursday, March 20, 2008, Patrick Ryan
wrote:
[...]
> Phonemes are actual physical realizations, speech sounds.
> They can be exactly, objectively described.
Let's see. For most Americans /t/ is [t], [tH], or an
alveolar tap or flap similar to /r/ in Spanish <pero>,
depending on its phonological environment; by some of these
speakers it may also be realized as [?t] or even [?] in some
environments and registers.
For some Americans /l/ is [l], [l~], or a close-mid back
unrounded vocalic segment (IPA baby-gamma) depending on
environment ('see Lynn', 'seal it', and 'seal bins',
respectively).
[...]
> Phones, on the other, e.g. [l], can comprise many actual
> phonetic realizations;
You have it exactly backwards.
Brian