English Consonants: Stops, Fricatives, Affricates

Consonants

• Consonants are sounds produced with one or more constrictions in the vocal tract.
• Described according to their voicing, manner, and place of articulation.

Manner of Articulation

• Stops (Plosives): airflow is completely obstructed. /b/ ‘bile’ /p/ ‘pile’ /d/ ‘den’ /t/ ‘ten’ /g/ ‘gum’ /k/ ‘come’
• Fricatives: tight constriction of the articulators makes the air flow turbulently. /z/ ‘zee’ /ð/ ‘thy’ /s/ ‘see’ /θ/ ‘thigh’ /ʒ/ ‘usual’ /v/ ‘vine’ /ʃ/ ‘she’ /f/ ‘fine’ /h/ ‘have’
• Affricates: a stop followed by a fricative, made in rapid succession. /ʤ/ ‘judge’ /ʧ/ ‘church’
• Nasals (Nasal Stops): the velum is lowered, allowing air to escape through the nose. /m/ ‘mow’ /n/ ‘know’ /ŋ/ ‘sing’
• Approximants: have very wide constriction and no closure. /l/ ‘lake’ /ɹ/ ‘rake’ /j/ ‘yes’ /w/ ‘wine’

Three-Part Articulatory Description

• Consonants are described according to their voicing, manner, and place of articulation.
• Examples: /p/ is a voiceless bilabial stop. /b/ is a voiced bilabial stop. /g/ is a voiced velar stop. /t/ is a voiceless alveolar stop. /ɹ/ is a voiced alveolar approximant. /ŋ/ is a voiced velar nasal. /j/ is a voiced palatal approximant. /s/ is a voiceless alveolar fricative. /θ/ is a voiceless interdental fricative. /l/ is a voiced alveolar lateral approximant. /k/ is a voiceless velar stop. /ʧ/ is a voiceless postalveolar affricate. /m/ is a voiced bilabial nasal. /z/ is a voiced alveolar fricative. /n/ is a voiced alveolar nasal. /ð/ is a voiced interdental fricative. /w/ is a voiced labiovelar approximant. /ʒ/ is a voiced postalveolar fricative. /f/ is a voiceless labiodental fricative.

International Phonetic Alphabet

• Divided into consonant chart and vowel chart.
• Consonants are described according to their voicing, manner, and place of articulation.
• Vowels are described according to their rounding, height, and backness.

Vowels

• Highly sonorous (loud) sounds with a relatively open vocal tract.
• Described according to their rounding, height, and backness.
• Examples: /i/ ‘meat’ /ɪ/ ‘mit’ /eɪ/ ‘mate’ /ɛ/ ‘met’ /æ/ ‘mat’ /u/ ‘shoe’ /ʌ/ ‘above’ /ʊ/ ‘should’ /ə/ ‘above’ /oʊ/ ‘show’ /ɔ/ ‘shawl’ /ɑ/ ‘shot’

Place of Articulation

• Articulators: parts of the vocal tract that are used to form sounds.
• Lower, mobile articulators move against upper, mostly immobile articulators.
• Examples: /p/ and /b/ are bilabial consonants. /m/ and /w/ are bilabial consonants.

Voicing

• Larynx: complex structure of cartilage and muscle that includes the vocal folds (also called cords).
• Vocal folds/cords can be lined up so that air from the lungs will make them vibrate.
• Voiced sounds: produced with the vocal cords vibrating.
• Voiceless sounds: produced with the vocal cords held apart.
• Examples: /b/ is a voiced bilabial stop. /p/ is a voiceless bilabial stop. /z/ is a voiced alveolar fricative. /s/ is a voiceless alveolar fricative.