Orthology is the area of phonetics dedicated to establishing the pronunciation rules of a language . The notion comes from the Greek word orthologia .
Before moving forward, it should be mentioned that the idea of phonetics is linked to the sounds of speech . It may be the set of sounds of a language or the biunivocal relationship that is established between those sounds and their written representation. The sector of grammar focused on the generation, expression and perception of the sound signals that constitute speech is also called phonetics.
Returning to the concept of orthology, it refers to the rules that indicate how the sounds of each language should be pronounced. Pronouncing, meanwhile, consists of the articulation and emission of sounds when speaking.
Orthology, therefore, pays attention to language as a tool for communication . It also considers the cognitive activity of the speaker and the aesthetic issue that develops according to the way of speaking.
Mentioned as a teaching of pronunciation , orthology goes beyond sound production to focus on how sounds are expressed and understood as a whole. It is important to keep in mind that the material form of speech (i.e., pronunciation) can contribute to communicative success or become a barrier that threatens understanding.
Orthology, in short, is relevant both to optimize the learning and use of the mother tongue and a foreign language . Those who pronounce appropriately manage to convey their ideas better.
Language scholars compare orthology with orthography , while the first is for speech and the second is for writing. These are two systems of rules that we learn “naturally” for our first language and consciously for others. Without them, we would not be able to communicate effectively or clearly.
Although the total absence of the principles established by orthology is not possible in a person born into a society, the lack of attention to the rules at high levels is very common, especially among adolescents. Just as with spelling, there is a kind of rebellion that leads many to break the rules of correctness for fear of appearing too submissive or not very modern.
In the case of orthology, the deformation or omission of certain phonemes can give rise to a series of misunderstandings of varying severity, which dirty conversations and lead the interlocutor to feel lost or offended, among other possibilities. This may seem trivial during school age, but as responsibilities increase the consequences can be failing an exam or failing a job interview.
Although orthology provides us with a guide to speak well, it is true that there are exceptions, those special cases that destroy the rules before our eyes and leave us unprotected unless we have learned them by heart . Such is the case of the pronunciation of the R after an N , which should sound strong, despite being simple and not at the beginning of the word.
Another point to take into account is the pronunciation of B and V : in the field of writing we cannot exchange them, but from a phonetic point of view it would be a mistake to pronounce them differently; It would be a spelling error . Some misspellings are accepted in everyday speech because they are part of the regional culture; for example: omitting the D in words like tired ("cansao") or comido ("comío"), the first letters in hasta ("ta"), etc.