Phonetics: Articulation and Places of Articulation

Articulation in Phonetics

Definition

• Articulation refers to the process by which speech sounds are made using the movement of the lips, tongue, and other organs of the vocal tract.

Places of Articulation

• Bilabial: produced with both lips (e.g., /p/, /b/, /m/)
• Labiodental: produced with the lower lip and upper teeth (e.g., /f/, /v/)
• Dental: produced with the tongue against the upper teeth (e.g., /θ/, /ð/)
• Alveolar: produced with the tongue against the alveolar ridge (e.g., /t/, /d/, /n/)
• Post-alveolar: produced with the tongue behind the alveolar ridge (e.g., /ʃ/, /ʒ/)
• Palatal: produced with the tongue against the hard palate (e.g., /j/)
• Velar: produced with the tongue against the soft palate (e.g., /k/, /g/)
• Uvular: produced with the tongue against the uvula (e.g., /q/)
• Glottal: produced with the vocal cords (e.g., /h/)

Manners of Articulation

• ** Stops**: sudden release of air (e.g., /p/, /t/, /k/)
• Fricatives: friction between articulators (e.g., /s/, /z/, /f/)
• Nasals: airflow through the nasal cavity (e.g., /m/, /n/, /ŋ/)
• Approximants: close approximation of articulators (e.g., /w/, /j/, /h/)
• Liquids: flow of air through the mouth (e.g., /l/, /r/)

Other Articulatory Features

• Voicing: vibration of the vocal cords (e.g., /b/ vs. /p/)
• Aspiration: release of air with a burst of air (e.g., /pʰ/ vs. /p/)
• Length: duration of the sound (e.g., /i:/ vs. /i/)

Coarticulation

• The influence of one speech sound on the articulation of another speech sound.

Articulation in Phonetics

Definition of Articulation

• Articulation is the process of making speech sounds using the movement of lips, tongue, and other vocal tract organs.

Places of Articulation

• Bilabial sounds are made with both lips, examples include /p/, /b/, and /m/.
• Labiodental sounds are made with the lower lip and upper teeth, examples include /f/ and /v/.
• Dental sounds are made with the tongue against the upper teeth, examples include /θ/ and /ð/.
• Alveolar sounds are made with the tongue against the alveolar ridge, examples include /t/, /d/, and /n/.
• Post-alveolar sounds are made with the tongue behind the alveolar ridge, examples include /ʃ/ and /ʒ/.
• Palatal sounds are made with the tongue against the hard palate, example includes /j/.
• Velar sounds are made with the tongue against the soft palate, examples include /k/ and /g/.
• Uvular sounds are made with the tongue against the uvula, example includes /q/.
• Glottal sounds are made with the vocal cords, example includes /h/.

Manners of Articulation

• Stops are made with a sudden release of air, examples include /p/, /t/, and /k/.
• Fricatives are made with friction between articulators, examples include /s/, /z/, and /f/.
• Nasals are made with airflow through the nasal cavity, examples include /m/, /n/, and /ŋ/.
• Approximants are made with close approximation of articulators, examples include /w/, /j/, and /h/.
• Liquids are made with a flow of air through the mouth, examples include /l/ and /r/.

Other Articulatory Features

• Voicing is the vibration of the vocal cords, affecting the sound of a phoneme, for example, /b/ vs. /p/.
• Aspiration is the release of air with a burst, for example, /pʰ/ vs. /p/.
• Length refers to the duration of a sound, for example, /i:/ vs. /i/.

Coarticulation

• Coarticulation is the influence of one speech sound on the articulation of another speech sound.