Sociophonetics

Abstract

Sociophonetics is an analytic approach that overlaps with, but is also distinct from, related areas of study such as quantitative and variationist sociolinguistics. The distinctive characteristics of sociophonetics include the use of continuous (rather than categorical) variables, an interest in perception as well as production, and the implementation of a range of methods for data collection in both field settings and laboratories. Increasingly, researchers combine sociophonetic approaches with more anthropological approaches, including ethnography, qualitative linguistic analysis, and the prioritization of understudied, Indigenous, and minority languages.