Study of Sounds

Editor: Masao Onishi

Publisher: Phonetic Society of Japan

Edition: 1969

Binding: Hardcover

Pages: 447

Size: 6 × 1 × 9 inches

Language: English

Study of Sounds is a specialised academic volume concerned with the systematic study of human speech sounds and the principles underlying their production and analysis.

Edited by Masao Onishi and published by the Phonetic Society of Japan in 1969, the book represents an academic contribution to the field of phonetics during the mid-twentieth century.

Phonetics is the branch of linguistic science concerned with the physical characteristics of speech. It examines how speech sounds are produced by the human vocal organs, how they travel as sound waves, and how they are perceived by listeners.

The study of speech sounds therefore connects linguistics with areas such as acoustics, physiology, psychology, and speech science.

A major area of phonetic study is the classification and description of individual speech sounds. Researchers examine features such as the position and movement of the tongue, lips, vocal cords, and other parts of the vocal tract in order to understand how different sounds are produced.

The acoustic characteristics of speech are another important area. Speech sounds can be examined through their measurable physical properties, including frequency, intensity, duration, and patterns of resonance.

The subject is also closely related to phonology, which examines how sounds function within particular languages. While phonetics focuses on the physical nature of sounds, phonology is concerned with the way sound systems operate as part of language.

The book’s connection with the Phonetic Society of Japan is particularly significant. Japan has a long-established tradition of research into Japanese phonetics and linguistics, and specialist publications from this period provide useful historical insight into the development of language and speech research.

The volume can therefore be of interest not only to linguists but also to researchers studying the history of phonetic science and linguistic scholarship in Japan.

The 1969 publication date places the work within an important period in the development of modern phonetics. During the twentieth century, advances in recording, acoustic measurement, and experimental methods increasingly enabled researchers to study speech sounds using objective scientific techniques.

For students and researchers, a historical academic volume such as this can provide insight into the terminology, research methods, and scholarly approaches used in phonetic studies during the period.

With 447 pages, the book is a substantial specialist reference rather than a brief introduction. Its hardcover format and academic publisher make it particularly suitable for university libraries, linguistics collections, and specialist research libraries.

Published in 1969, this hardcover edition measures approximately 6 × 1 × 9 inches and contains 447 pages.

• Edited by Masao Onishi
• Published by Phonetic Society of Japan
• 1969 Edition
• Hardcover binding
• 447 pages
• Size: 6 × 1 × 9 inches
• Language: English
• Academic study of speech sounds
• Covers phonetics and linguistic sound systems
• Relevant to speech and acoustic science
• Connected with Japanese phonetic scholarship
• Useful for linguistics students and researchers
• Historical reference for phonetic research
• Suitable for academic and specialist collections

🔹 Collector’s Note

This 1969 hardcover edition published by the Phonetic Society of Japan is a specialist academic work with 447 pages devoted to the study of speech sounds. Its historical significance within twentieth-century phonetic and linguistic scholarship makes it an interesting addition to collections focused on Science, Non-Fiction, Linguistics, and language studies.