This fundamental text is a launching point for study in the field of phonetics. It introduces readers to the key elements in phonetic study, providing an overview of phonetic transcription, anatomy of speech production and perception, the physics of sound, properties of vowels, diphthongs, and consonants, stress and intonation, and connected speech. Revisions in this third edition reflect the steady growth in exploration and understanding of the field of phonetics since the publication of the original edition of this book, with valuable contributions and input from two distinguished phoneticians, Donald Mower, PhD, and David Ingram, PhD In addition to new and updated content, this book retains the unique presentation of selected speech production modules developed over 30 years ago, which enable students to independently study the complex phenomenon of speech sound in context. After mastering this text, students will find they have opened the door to opportunities in the study of speech-language pathology.