Lesson 3 – Classification of consonant sounds

The sounds of language can be grouped into classes, based on the phonetic properties that they share. The basic division of sounds is into two major classes: vowel sounds and consonant sounds. There is a third group of sounds that is called glides. Glides share properties of both vowels and consonants ( for example, /w/ and /y/).

A consonant is defined as a speech sound which is articulated with some kind of closure of the air stream. Consonants are classified according to the following characteristics:

    

Voicing:

This characteristic refers to the vibration or absence of vibration of the vocal cords when air passes between them. Sounds can be produced with or without these vibrations.

Ø Voiced sounds: Sounds produced with the vibration of the vocal cords in the larynx. For example /z/, /g/, /d/, and any vowel sound.

Ø Voiceless sounds: Sounds produced without any vibration of the vocal cords in the larynx. For example /t/, /k/, /s/.

Place of articulation:

It refers to where the constriction occurs and what articulators are involved.

Ø Bilabial: The two lips are together, the tongue is not involved but remains in the rest position. For example, /b/, /p/.

Ø Labiodental: The lower lip is against the upper front teeth. The tongue is in rest position. For example, /f/ and /v/.

Ø Interdental: The tip of the tongue is positioned between the teeth or touches the back of the upper teeth. For example /q/ as in thanks.

Ø Dental: The tip of the tongue touches the back of the upper teeth. For example /d/ in Spanish as in día.

Ø Alveolar: The tip of the tongue makes contact with the alveolar ridge. For example, the sound of /d/ in English.

Ø Palatal: The front of the tongue is positioned against the hard palate. For example, /∫/ as in shoe.

Ø Velar: The back of the tongue touches the velum. For example, the sound /g/ in English.

Ø Uvular: The back of the tongue touches the uvula. This sound does not occur in English.

Manners of articulation:

There are different manners of articulation that combine with the places of articulation just mentioned before to produce consonant sounds. These manners of articulation are:

Ø Stop: It occurs with a complete or momentary closure of the airflow through the oral cavity. For example, /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, etc.

Ø Nasal (nasal stop): It involves a complete closure of two articulators with the velum lowered. For example: the sound /n/ in English.

Ø Fricative: The air flow is partially obstructed at a certain point in the mouth and then, it is released producing a hissing sound. For example: the sound /s/ in English.

Ø Affricate: It consists of a stop that is released slowly producing a fricative sound at the end. For example, the sound of  /t∫ / in English (chair).

Ø Liquids: Liquids are continuant sounds. The vocal tract obstruction formed when producing liquids is not as great as it is for fricatives. The two liquid sounds that exist in any language are /l/ and /r/. There are three varieties of liquid sounds:

·         Laterals: Varieties of  /l/ are called laterals. As laterals are articulated, air escapes through the mouth along the lowered sides of the tongue. When the tongue tip is raised to the dental or alveolar position, the dental or alveolar laterals are produced. Laterals are generally voiced.

·         Retroflex r: There are many varieties of /r/ sounds in the world but the /r/ of English spoken in the United States and Canada is known as retroflex. It is produced by curling the tongue tip back into the mouth. For example, car and ride.

·         Flap r: The flap is produced when the tongue tip strikes the alveolar ridge as it passes across it. It is heard in the North American English pronunciation of bitter and butter. It is generally voiced.

·         Trill r: It is produced with a rapid vibration of the active articulator against the passive articulator. This sound is not common in English.

Ø Glides: These sounds are also known as semi-vowels because they are produced with almost no obstruction of the air flow in the mouth but they act as consonants to begin or end syllables. They are always voiced. For example, /w/ and /y/ in English.

Lesson 5 – Learning activity

F In pairs, make a list of 25 words and underline their consonant sounds. Then, indicate the place and manner of articulation of each consonant underlined.

F  Individually, investigate consonant sounds from other languages that are not present in English.