what is the difference between narrow and broad transcription ?

Narrow transcription and broad transcription are two different approaches to representing speech sounds in phonetics.

1. Narrow Transcription:
Narrow transcription is a detailed and specific representation of speech sounds. It aims to capture the exact phonetic details of an utterance, including variations in pronunciation, allophonic variations, and phonetic features. It uses a set of symbols called diacritics to indicate these specific details. Narrow transcription is often used in phonetic research, language documentation, and phonetic analysis.

Example:
Broad transcription: "cat" /kæt/
Narrow transcription: "cat" [kʰæt̚]

In the narrow transcription, the diacritic [kʰ] indicates that the /k/ sound is aspirated, and the diacritic [̚] indicates that the /t/ sound is unreleased.

2. Broad Transcription:
Broad transcription is a more general representation of speech sounds. It focuses on the phonemic level, which means it represents the basic units of sound that distinguish meaning in a particular language. It does not include specific phonetic details or variations. Broad transcription uses a simplified set of symbols, often corresponding to the phonemes of a language.

Example:
Broad transcription: "cat" /kæt/
Narrow transcription: "cat" [kʰæt̚]

In the broad transcription, the symbols /k/, /æ/, and /t/ represent the basic phonemes of the word "cat" without indicating any specific phonetic details.

In summary, narrow transcription provides a more detailed and specific representation of speech sounds, including variations and phonetic features, while broad transcription focuses on the basic phonemic distinctions without including specific phonetic details.