Glottal stop in r.p english and standard arabic with reference to some other varieties

Abstract EN

Glottal stop is a sound made in the larynx.

It is the audible release of a complete closure at the glottis (Crystal, 2003:154).This research studies this sound in two languages: English and Arabic in a contrastive analysis that investigates similarities and differences between the aforementioned languages concerning this sound.

In order to examine this sound thoroughly, a detailed exposition to its phonetic and phonological features is provided.

Occurrences and usages (general, extended and regional) are also detected.

Historical details regarding this sound in English and Arabic is of no less importance that is why it is given a space in this research.

It is revealed after contrasting the aspects of the sound in question in both languages that in English and Arabic glottal stop is a consonant sound since airflow is obstructed completely by a firm closure.

The manner of that consonant is stop or plosive since air is stopped from escaping and when the articulators move, it goes out with audible explosion.

What concerns phonation, English phoneticians unanimously agree about considering it voiceless.

In Arabic, on the other hand it is a matter of dispute.

In R.P and other varieties, glottal stop is an allophone while in standard Arabic, it is a phoneme and only in some dialects it is an allophone.

The Arabic counterpart of glottal stop is called hamzat al qat'