English Phonetic & Phonolgy

PLACE OF ARTICULATION

Labial: Consonants whose main restriction is formed by the two lips coming together have a bilabial place of articulation. In English these include [p] as in possum, [b] as in bear, and [m] as in marmot. The English labiodentals consonants [v] and [f] are made by pressing the bottom lip against the upper row of teeth and letting the air flow through the space in the upper teeth

Dental: Sounds that are made by placing the tongue against the teeth are dentals. The main dentals in English are the [th] of thing or the [dh] of though, which are made by placing the tongue behind the teeth with the tip slightly between the teeth.

Alveolar: The alveolar ridge is the portion of the roof of the mouth just behind ALVEOLAR the upper teeth. Most speakers of American English make the phones [s], [z], [t], and [d] by placing the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge. The word cooronal is often used to refer to both dental and alveolar.

Palatal: The roof of the mouth (the palate) rises sharply from the back of the alveolar ridge. The palato-alveolar sounds [sh] (shrimp), [ch] (china), [zh] (Asian), and [jh] (jar) are made with the blade of the tongue against this rising back of the alveolar ridge. The palatal sound [y] of yak is made by placing the front of the tongue up close to the palate.

Velar: The velum or soft palate is a movable muscular flap at the very back of the roof of the mouth. The sounds [k] (cuckoo), [g] (goose), and [N] (kingfisher) are made by pressing the back of the tongue up against the velum.

Glottal: The glottal stop [q] (IPA [P]) is made by closing the glottis (by bringing the vocal folds together).

MANNER OF ARTICULATION

•         All consonants are produced by restriction of airflow

•         Manner of Articulation: How the restriction is produced:

–        complete or partial stoppage

•         A stop is a consonant in which airflow is completely blocked for a short time.

•         This blockage is followed by an explosive sound as the air is released. The period of blockage is called the closure and the explosion is called the release.

•         English has voiced stops like [b], [d], and [g] as well as unvoiced stops like [p], [t], and [k].

•         Stops are also called plosives

•         Nasal sounds [n], [m], and [ng] are made by lowering the velum and allowing air to pass into the nasal cavity.

•         Fricatives, airflow is constricted but not cut off completely. The turbulent airflow that results from the constriction produces a characteristic “hissing” sound.

–        The English labiodental fricatives [f] and [v] are produced by pressing the lower lip against the upper teeth, allowing a restricted airflow between the upper teeth. The dental fricatives [th] and [dh] allow air to flow around the tongue between the teeth.

–        The alveolar fricatives [s] and [z] are produced with the tongue against the alveolar ridge, forcing air over the edge of the teeth.

–        In the palato-alveolar fricatives [sh] and [zh] the tongue is at the back of the alveolar ridge forcing air through a groove formed in the tongue.

•         Fricatives, airflow is constricted but not cut off completely. The turbulent airflow that results from the constriction produces a characteristic “hissing” sound.

–        The higher-pitched fricatives (in English [s], [z], [sh] and [zh]) are called sibilants

–        Stops that are followed immediately by fricatives are called affricates; these include English [ch] (chicken) and [jh] (giraffe).

•         In approximants, the two articulators are close together but not close enough to cause turbulent airflow. In English [y] (yellow), the tongue moves close to the roof of the mouth but not close enough to cause the turbulence that would characterize a fricative.

•         In English [w] (wood), the back of the tongue comes close to the velum.

•         American [r] can be formed in at least two ways; with just the tip of the tongue extended and close to the palate or with the whole tongue bunched up near the palate.

•         [l] is formed with the tip of the tongue up against the alveolar ridge or the teeth, with one or both sides of the tongue lowered to allow air to flow over it. [l] is called a lateral sound because of the drop in the sides of the tongue.

•         A tap or flap [dx] (or IPA [R]) is a quick motion of the tongue against the alveolar ridge. The consonant in the middle of the word lotus ([l ow dx ax s]) is a tap in most dialects of American English; speakers of many UK dialects would use a [t] instead of a tap in this word.

VOWELS

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