Abstract
The book introduces the latest findings about the phonetic and phonological description of speech. In an effort to provide a complex look at sound systems of languages, the book examines both segmental and prosodic phenomena from several complementary perspectives.
It deals with the articulation basis of speech, as well as with the acoustic and psychoacoustic properties of the speech signal. The description of the segmental level is concerned, apart from vocalic and consonantal systems, with the interactions which occur in connected speech.
A systemic (phonological) approach to segmental units and systematic processes is covered thoroughly. The description of the suprasegmental level starts with the syllable as a key unit of speech production and perception.
Emphasis is put on the prosodic structure of speech, on lexical stress, and on melodic and rhythmic properties of speech. One of the objectives of the book is also to unify the Czech terminology within speech sciences.