A Contrastive Analysis of English and Hausa Segmental and Suprasegmental Sounds

Phonology is a crucial aspect of the sound systems of languages, including English and Hausa. In this study, English and Hausa segmental and suprasegmental sound systems are contrasted with a view to establishing their similarities and differences. It is worthy of note that aspects of similarities in both languages can be explored not only in the teaching of English, but also for the preparation of instructional materials. Contrastive Analysis (CA) is a linguistic investigation of specific aspects of different languages with focus on areas of differences and similarities. Hinging on the Classical Phonemics Theory, this study concludes that in terms of convergence, the sound systems of English and Hausa relate with grammar (morphological and syntactic rules). On the other hand, in terms of divergence, the findings are thought-provoking: English tone system concentrates on stress and intonation; Hausa tone system is not only meaning-driven, but also tripartite in pitches (high, low, and falling); and while English is a non-tonal language, Hausa is a tonal language.