English Sounds PDF

# English Sounds ## English Sounds - English sounds - Consonants - Vowels - Pure Vowels (12 Sounds) - Diphthongs (8 Sounds) - (24 Sounds) ## Organs of Speech ### _Lips:_ The lips play an important role in the formation of speech sounds, since they modify the...

# English Sounds ## English Sounds - English sounds - Consonants - Vowels - Pure Vowels (12 Sounds) - Diphthongs (8 Sounds) - (24 Sounds) ## Organs of Speech ### _Lips:_ The lips play an important role in the formation of speech sounds, since they modify the shape of the oral cavity. They can take different positions. They can be brought together to articulate bilabial sounds as /b, m, p/. The lower lip together with the upper teeth are used to articulate labio-dental consonants as / f, v/. They can also be spread, rounded or neutral as in /l: /, /u: /. ### _2- Teeth:_ Teeth can be used to articulate soft /0/ and hard/ð/ by forcing the air through the teeth. The tongue tip and rims are articulating with the upper teeth. The upper teeth are used when we say /f/, /v/ as the air is forced through the upper teeth. The palate forms the roof of the mouth and separates the mouth cavity from the nasal cavity. Alveolar ridge is the bony prominence behind the top teeth. When the tip of the tongue touches this part, it is called alveolar: /t/, /d/, /s/, /z/, /l/, /n/, /r/. Four sounds are said to be palato-alveolar. This is because the blade of the tongue straddles both the alveolar ridge and the front of the hard palate. The air is forced to make /3/, /f/, /tf/, /d3/. Most of the palato is hard and fixed in position. The hard palate is the bony structure that forms the roof of the mouth. It is the highest part of the palate between the alveolar ridge and the beginning of the soft palate /3/ is the clearest example of palatal sound. The soft palate curves down towards the tongue until it ends with uvula. It is towards the back of the mouth. The soft palate can move, it can be raised and forces the air to go in to the mouth only and none of it goes into the nasal cavity (oral sound). When it is lowered, it allows the breath to pass into the nasal cavity and out through the nose, so the sound is nasal /m/, /n/, /n/ .Velar sounds are made when the back of the tongue is pressed against the soft palate. They include /k/, /in/. /w/ is regarded as labio-velar sound, because it is articulated by two lips while raising the back of the tongue towards the velum. ### _Throat (Glottis)_ Glottal sounds are those that are made in the larynx through the closure of the glottis. /h/ is an example of glottal sound. ## Consonants A class of sounds where there is obstruction to the air flow creating friction. - **Characteristics of consonants include the following:** - **1- Voicing:** - Whether the sound is voiced or voiceless which can be determined by the level of vibration of the vocal cords. - **Voiced consonants:** - Consonants pronounced with vibration in the vocal cords. - **Voiceless consonants:** - Consonants pronounced without any vibration in the vocal cords. - **2- Place of articulation:** - Where in the mouth the sound is pronounced. There are a number of places where the obstruction can take place. These places are known as articulators: - Lips. - Teeth. - Alveolar ridge. - Hard palate. - Soft palate. - (f) Throat (glottis). ### _Manner of Articulation:_ Determining the nature and the extent of the obstruction or what is called the (type of obstruction). - There are different degrees of obstruction: - **1- Plosives:** - Sounds made by forming a complete obstruction to the flow of air through the mouth and the nose. The air is stopped then released quickly making an explosion of air that causes a sharp noise. There are six plosives in English /p/, /b/, /t/,/d/,/k/,/g/. - **2- Fricatives:** - Sounds formed by forcing air through a narrow opining in the mouth so that a hissing sound is created. The air is kept in the mouth then released gradually through the narrow openings in the mouth. There are nine fricatives: - /f/,/v/, /0/, /ð/,/s/, /z/,/z/, /f/, /h/. - **3-Affricate:** - is a plosive immediately followed by a fricative in the same place of articulation. There are two affricates in English /tf/, /d3/. - **4-Nasals:** - a nasal consonant is a consonant in which air escapes only through the nose. The soft palate is lowered to allow air pass continuously through the nose. There are three nasals: /m/,/n/, /ŋ/. - **5-Approximants:** - A consonant that makes very little obstruction to the airflow. The name approximant comes from the fact that the articulators are brought into closer contact or approximation, then in any of the vowels. The construction is less than for the fricatives and plosives. They are divided into two main groups: - **(a)Laterals:** - /L/ - **(b)Liquids:** /r/ - **Lateral /L/ :** - made by an obstruction in the air passage and produced with no friction, with a weak breath force. The tip of the tongue touches the alveolar ridge. The air escapes continuously out of the mouth around the sides of the tongue. - **//:** the tip of the tongue is fairly close to the back of the alveolar ridge with the sides of the tongue in contact with the sides of the palate. - **Semi-vowels:** - They start like vowel before moving to a consonant. // starts like /i/ before moving to an obstruction of the air flow. /w/ it starts like /u/ before moving to an obstruction of the air flow. ## Place of Articulation - Alveolar: The air is stopped at the teeth ridge. - Velar: The air is stopped at the soft palate. - Labio-Dental: The upper teeth touch the lower lip. - Dental: - The tip of the tongue is between the upper and the lower teeth. - Alveolo-Palatal:- The blade of the tongue is in contact - Bilabial: - Sounds that are made by the two lips. ## Symbols to English Alphabet | Symbol | Pronunciation | English Alphabet | |---|---|---| | /p/ | voiceless, bilabial, plosive. | P | | /b/ | voiced, bilabial, plosive. | B | | /t/ | voiceless, alveolar, plosive. | T | | /d/ | voiced, alveolar, plosive. | D | | /k/ | voiceless, velar, plosive. | K | | /g/ | voiced, velar, plosive. | G | | /f/ | voiceless, labio-dental, fricative. | F | | /v/ | voiced, labio-dental, fricative. | V | | /θ/ | voiceless, dental, fricative. | TH | | /ð/ | voiced, dental, fricative. | TH | | /s/ | voiceless, alveolar, fricative. | S | | /z/ | voiced, alveolar, fricative. | Z | | /∫/ | voiceless, alveolo- palatal, fricative. | SH | | /ʒ/ | voiced, alveolo-palatal, fricative. | | | /tʃ/ | voiceless, alveolo-palatal, affricate. | CH | | /dʒ/ | voiced, alveolo-palatal, affricate. | J | | /h/ | voiceless, Glottal, fricative. | H | | /m/ | voiced, bilabial, nasal. | M | | /n/ | voiced, alveolar, nasal. | N | | /ŋ/ | voiced, lateral, approximant. | NG | | /l/ | voiced, post alveolar, approximant (Lateral) | L | | /w/ | voiced, Labio-velar, approximant (semi-vowel). | W | | /j/ | voiced, palatal, approximant (Semi-vowel). | Y | ## Vowels Vowels are these sounds that pass through the mouth without encountering any obstruction. Analyzing the vowel is little more difficult. Each vowel is distinctive, but because no physical obstruction takes place it is quite difficult determining exactly where each vowel is formed. Consonants are formed by obstruction of the flow of air through the mouth, but vowels are never completely obstructed. They are determined by changes in position of lips, tongue and palate. The vowel chart maps the position of the tongue and jaw in articulating vowels. English vowels are divided into three main types. Short vowels, long vowels and Diphthong - /i/sit - /i:/tea - /e/bed - /æ/hat - /a:/arm - /u/pull - /u:/fool - /o/dog - /:/port - /ʌ/but - /ǝ/father - /ǝ:/bird - /i:/close front vowel, with the lips spread. - /i / close front vowel, with the lips spread (lower and further back). - /e/ front vowel, tongue between half close and half open, the lips are spread. - /æ/front vowel, tongue between half open and open position, the lips are neutral. - /a:/ back vowel, the tongue is at open position, the lips are neutral. - /ว / back vowel, the tongue is between half close and half open, the lips are rounded. - / ว:/ back vowel, the tongue is between half close and half open, the lips are rounded. - /u/ back vowel, the tongue is between close and half close, the lips are rounded. - /u:/ back vowel, the tongue is between close and half close, the lips are rounded. - / Λ / Central vowel, the tongue is at open position, the lips are neutral. - /ə/ Central vowel, tongue is between half close and half open, the lips are neutral. - / ǝ:/ Central vowel, tongue is between half close and half open position, the lips are spread. ## Diphthongs The word diphthong comes from the Greek di- meaning (two) and phthongs meaning (sound). Diphthongs are those sounds that consist of a movement or glide from one vowel sound to another. The first part is always longer and stronger than the second part, as the sound glides into the second part of diphthong the loudness of the sound decreases. - Diphthongs are divided into: - **1- Front closing diphthongs:**- Those sounds that end in afront close vowel /i/: /ei/, /ai/, /oi/. - **2- Back closing diphthongs:** Those sounds that end in aback close vowel /u/: /ǝu/,/au/ - **3- Centering Diphthongs:** Those sounds that end in a central vowel /ə/: /iə/, /eə/,/uǝ/. ## Triphthongs Triphthongs are those sounds that consist of a movement or glide from one vowel to another and then a third. They are very similar to diphthongs, but have an extra schwa on the end of the diphthong. - There are five Triphthongs: - /eiǝ/layer - /laiǝ/ liar - /lɔıǝ / loyal - /pauǝ/ power - /məuǝ / mower ## English phonetic symbols