What field examines the sound structure in language?

The field that examines the sound structure in language is phonetics. This area of study focuses specifically on the physical properties of sounds, including how they are produced (articulation), how they are transmitted (acoustics), and how they are perceived (auditory phonetics). Phonetics deals with the sounds of speech, which is fundamental for understanding how different languages utilize sound.

Phonetics is essential for language therapists and educators as it lays the groundwork for teaching pronunciation and understanding phonological processes. It differs significantly from other fields such as sociolinguistics, which studies the social aspects of language; syntax, which deals with the structure of sentences; and semantics, which focuses on the meaning of words and sentences. Each of these branches plays a role in language, but only phonetics is concerned specifically with the sound structure.