What type of transcription is referred to as broad transcription?

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Prepare for the UCF SPA3112 Basic Phonetics Midterm Exam. Study effectively with flashcards, multiple-choice questions, and in-depth explanations. Get exam-ready now!

Broad transcription is often referred to as phonemic transcription, which involves representing speech sounds in a way that captures the phonemes of a language without accounting for all the finer phonetic details. In this system, only the distinct units of meaning—phonemes—are depicted, while variations in pronunciation that do not alter meaning, such as aspiration or vowel length, are generally not represented.

Phonemic transcription focuses on the abstract, categorical nature of sounds rather than their precise articulatory features, allowing for a clearer illustration of how sounds function in a particular language. As a result, it is commonly used in linguistic studies and phonetic analysis to simplify the expression of language sounds for practical purposes while maintaining the critical elements that differentiate meaning.

Other choices like detailed phonetic transcription delve into greater specifics, incorporating nuances that are not essential for conveying phonemic distinctions. Therefore, recognizing broad transcription as phonemic transcription is crucial for understanding how phonemes operate within the framework of a language.