A comprehensive grounding in the theory and practice of phonetics
What was formerly MSc Phonetics is now a pathway in MSc Linguistics. The content of the pathway is identical to the content of the former MSc Phonetics. Incorporation into MSc Linguistics allows students to explore connections between phonetics and other subdisciplines within Linguistics in a flexible way. This pathway will give a comprehensive grounding in the theory and practice of phonetics. Students will learn the core phonetic topics of speech production, speech acoustics, and speech perception, and will learn how phonetics relates to many other language-related disciplines.
Interested applicants should apply directly to the MSc Linguistics programme.
Why study Phonetics at Edinburgh?
- Linguistics & English Language is rated 3rd in the UK by Times Higher Education for the quality and breadth of the research using the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021).
- We're ranked 4th in the UK and 7th in the world for linguistics (QS World University Rankings by subject 2025).
- Edinburgh was the second university in the UK, and first in Scotland, to establish a phonetics department, led from 1948 by David Abercrombie.
- The phonetics staff at Edinburgh have expertise in speech production, speech perception, acoustic phonetics and phonetic fieldwork, allowing you to learn in depth in each of these domains.
Showcasing Language Sciences at Edinburgh
Pathway structure
All students will be required to take three core courses in phonetics plus one core course in statistics. Note that at the discretion of the pathway director, students with sufficient background in phonetics may be excused from Introduction to Phonology & Phonetics.
In addition, you will take at least 60 credits of options from a wide range of courses offered in Linguistics & English Language and related subject areas, and will write a dissertation project.
Teaching on the pathway takes a number of different forms, including lectures (often with associated tutorials), hands-on laboratory sessions, seminars, and workshops.
At the dissertation stage, you will be assigned a supervisor with whom you will meet to plan your reading and to discuss your work and progress.
Learning outcomes
The taught Phonetics Pathway Msc Linguistics will give you all of the intellectual and practical skills to engage in phonetics research, either for its own sake, or as part of research in another sub-area of linguistics, speech technology or speech pathology.
You will understand:
- Basic anatomy and physiology of speaking and hearing
- Speech acoustics
- The relationship of phonetics to phonology and other parts of grammar
- Current theories of speech production and perception
- How to test these theories using empirical data
We offer a strong focus on practical skills. You will learn:
- The mechanisms involved in recording sound
- How to elicit, collect, measure, and analyse phonetic data
- How to create and analyse perceptual experiments
- Core elements of scripting and statistical analysis
When to apply
We operate a gathered field approach to applications. You may submit your application at any time.
All complete applications that satisfy our minimum entry requirements will be placed on a shortlist and held until the next batch processing deadline. Applications will then be ranked and offers made to the top candidates.
Find out more about the degree pathway and how to apply:
Spotlight on the specialists
My main research focus has been on phonetic experiments that inform us about the cognitive representations and processes that we use when we plan and produce speech. My research examines evidence for the role of prosodic structure at the interface between language and speech, and provides tests of theories of speech production that account for systematic phonetic variability in spoken utterances.
I have two major research interests. One is suprasegmental systems, that is, the way languages make use of pitch, duration, voice quality, and loudness. My research contributes to establishing what kinds of suprasegmental systems can be found in the languages of the world. My second major interest is the description and documentation of Shilluk, a West Nilotic language spoken in South Sudan. The results of the first research interest have been disseminated through journal articles; the results of the second are mainly published at: A Descriptive Grammar of Shilluk.
My research deals with representations and processes in speech perception, prosody, and intonation. A lot of my research examines how prosody influences spoken language processing, especially in the uptake of segmental information and lexical processing. I also am interested in perceptual learning and flexibility from a phonetic perspective. In another line of work, I focus on the study of intonation and F0 patterns in speech, and how they are perceived and produced by speakers.
My main research areas are phonetic variation, sound change, social meaning, and indexicality theory. I primarily work on English, but I’m interested in work on Akan-Twi and other Niger-Congo languages, or Scottish Gaelic and other Celtic languages.
My research area is “phonetology” (the general study of linguistic sound systems) with a focus on acoustic and articulatory speech production. My specific research interests span topics traditionally ascribed to phonology, phonetics and speech sciences, tied together by an interest in how we produce sounds, how production affects the organisation of sound systems, and how sound change develops from variation in production. I am also particularly interested in articulatory techniques like ultrasound tongue imaging (UTI) and electroglottography (EGG). I am an active supporter of Open Research practices and of Bayesian methods with the hope to build a more sound and cumulative research paradigm.
Connect with us
If you have any pathway-specific enquiries please get in touch with the pathway director:
Dr Jeremy Steffman (Pathway director)
Feel free to get in touch with our friendly Postgraduate Team with any questions you might have about academic or English language requirements, course information, enquiries about your application and information on arriving at the University.
Postgraduate Research Administration Team (MScR/PhD enquiries):
Email: pplspgoffice@ed.ac.uk
How to apply and fees & funding information:
Degree Finder for Phonetics Pathway Msc Linguistics
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