Consonant Sounds: Plosives, Fricatives, & More

# Consonant Sounds ## Plosives * Part of the vocal tract is completely closed off and then the air is released suddenly with a sharp burst. * Examples: /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/ ## Fricatives * Two articulators move closer so the air flows through an audible friction. * Examples: /f/, /v...

# Consonant Sounds ## Plosives * Part of the vocal tract is completely closed off and then the air is released suddenly with a sharp burst. * Examples: /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/ ## Fricatives * Two articulators move closer so the air flows through an audible friction. * Examples: /f/, /v/, /θ/, /ð/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/, /dʒ/, /h/ ## Affricates * A combination of plosives and fricatives. It starts by fully stopping the air from leaving the vocal tract, then releasing it through a constricted opening, but not suddenly. * Examples: /tʃ/, /dʒ/ ## Nasals * The sound is blocked through the lips or tongue from leaving the mouth and instead is released through the nasal cavity. * Examples: /m/, /n/, /ŋ/ ## Approximants * Produced when two articulators come together but not close enough to make the air friction audible. * Examples: /w/, /j/, /r/, /l/ ## Consonant Sounds: 24 * /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /tʃ/, /dʒ/, /k/, /g/ * /f/, /v/, /θ/, /ð/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /h/ * /m/, /n/, /ŋ/ * /w/, /r/, /j/, /l/ ## Vowel Sounds: 20 * /i:/, /ɪ/, /ʊ/, /u:/, /a:/, /e/, /ɜ:/, /ə/, /æ/, /ʌ/, /ɒ/, /ɔ:/, /eɪ/, /əʊ/, /aɪ/, /aʊ/, /ɔɪ/, /ɪə/, /eə/, /ʊə/ ## Manner of Articulation of Consonants | Manner | Place | Central | Back | |---|---|---|---| | Fricative | | Close | | | Plosive | | Close | | | Nasal | | | | | Approximant | | | | | Voiced | Close-mid | | | | Dipthong | Open-mid | | | | | Open | | | ## Words Beginning with "ex" * When followed by a vowel or silent /h/, the "ex" is pronounced as /ɪɡ/: Ex: examples, examine, exact, exist * When followed by a consonant, the "ex" is pronounced as /ˈek/: Ex: exclusive, excellent, explore ## Aspiration * Adding a short /h/ to words beginning with /p/, /t/, /k/ * The unvoiced plosives are aspirated when they occur as the only sound in the onset of a stressed syllable. ## Elision * Happens only in grammatical words and never when it is at the beginning of a sentence * Elision of /h/ (initial): "Did you see him? - I did see him", "I thought he was - I thought he was" * Elision of plosives (final) * When /t/, /k/, /b/, /d/, /g/ are in between consonants. * It can also be deleted if it happens at the end of a word/syllable and it´s between two consonants. * Don´t pronounce it - "Don´t pronounce it" * Elision of initial /h/ * Happens only in grammatical words * Never happens at the beginning of a sentence * "Did you see him? - I did see him", "I thought he was - I thought he was" ## Consonants * A fusion of sounds. * The last sound of a word is merged to the initial sound of the following word. * It is a type of assimilation since the sounds adapt to the context. * **Coalescence of Alveolar Fricatives** * It happens when it, dis, z are the last consonant of a word, followed by initial yod (j) in the subsequent syllable. * /t/ + /j/ = /tʃ/ "Don't you?" * /d/ + /j/ = /dʒ/ "Would you?" * /s/ + /j/ = /ʃ/ "In case you need it" * /z/ + /j/ = /ʒ/ "Has your letter come?" ## Devoicing * A sound that was voiced changes and becomes voiceless. * It happens when: * It is at the end of a word, when they are followed by: * Silence (last word) * An unvoiced sound ## Dentalization * Alveolar sounds /t/, /d/, /n/, /l/, /r/ followed by /θ/, /ð/ # Vowel Sounds & Dipthongs ## Nasal Sounds and Approximants (Sonorants) * To stop the air from coming out of the mouth. ## Cruizenden (2008): Two Types of Sounds 1. **Obstants** (Plosives, Fricatives, Affricates) * Sounds formed when the airflow is stopped or obstructed in the vocal tract. * They are produced with air friction. 2. **Sonorants** (Nasals, Approximants, Vowels). * Sounds produced with continuous airflow and no serious air friction. ## Manner of Articulation of Consonants | Manner | Place | Central | Back | |---|---|---|---| | Stop | | Close | | | Fricative | | Close | | | Affricate | | | | | Nasal | | | | | Approximant | | | | ## Nasal and Approximant Sonorants * They are produced with a relatively free scape of the airstream * They are normally voiced and pronounced without friction ## Place of Articulation * Manner of articulation * Voicing ## Intrusive /r/ * Happens when a word ends in a vowel sound and the next word starts with a vowel. * It is pronounced if followed by a vowel sound. ## Dark /l/ * Happens when the /l/ sound is followed by a consonant sound. * It happens when the /l/ sound is at the end of a phrase. ## Clear /l/ * Followed by a vowel sound. ## Devoicing of Fricative Sounds * It happens when: * It is a final within a phrase. Ex: Yes, he does * It is followed by a voiceless sound. Ex: "I love socks". # Rules Related to Grammar and Pronunciation ## Affricates * Affricates are produced by a combination of two sounds. * The first sound is a plosive. * The second sound is a fricative * /t͡ʃ/ and /d͡ʒ/ are affricates. * Affricates are formed by the combination of: * /t/ and /ʃ/ for /tʃ/ * /d/ and /ʒ/ for /dʒ/ * Affricates are often described as a combination of a plosive and a fricative. ## Stress * Words ending in -ent are pronounced with a strong accent or "strong sound": current, torrent, fervent, comment, cerent. * Nouns are pronounced with a weak accent or "schwa" sound : cement, torment, argument ## Final "-ed" * "ed" is pronounced as /t/ when the word ends in /p/, /k/, /f/, /s/, /ʃ/, or /tʃ/ * "worked", "talked" * "ed" is pronounced as /d/ when the word ends in /b/, /g/, /v/, /ð/, /z/, /ʒ/, /dʒ/, /l/, /m/, /n/, /r/, or /ŋ/ * "begged", "loved" * "ed" is pronounced as /ɪd/ when the word ends in /t/ or /d/ * "visited", "ended" ## Fricative Sounds * /f/, /v/, /θ/, /ð/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /h/ * They are produced when the airflow is partially obstructed, causing friction as the air is expelled. * There are two types of fricatives: * **Voiced fricatives** * The vocal cords vibrate when producing voiced fricatives * /v/, /ð/ /z/, /ʒ/ * **Voiceless fricatives** * The vocal cords do not vibrate when producing voiceless fricatives. * /f/, /θ/ /s/, /ʃ/, /h/ ## Fricative Sounds: Labio-dental, Dental, Alveolar, Postalveolar, Palatal-alveolar, Glottal * **Labio-dental fricatives:** /f/, /v/ * The lower lip comes into contact with the upper teeth. * **Dental fricatives:** /θ/, /ð/ * The tongue tip comes into contact with the upper teeth. * **Alveolar fricatives:** /s/, /z/ * The tongue tip comes into contact with the alveolar ridge (the bony ridge behind the upper teeth). * **Postalveolar fricatives:** /ʃ/, /ʒ/ * The tongue blade comes into contact with the area just behind the alveolar ridge. * **Palatal-alveolar fricatives:** /tʃ/, /dʒ/ * The tongue blade comes into contact with the area behind the alveolar ridge. * **Glottal fricative:** /h/ * The air is forced out through the glottis (the space between the vocal cords). ## Voiced & Voiceless Plosives * **Voiced plosives:** /b/, /d/, /g/ * The vocal cords vibrate when producing voiced plosives. * **Voiceless plosives:** /p/, /t/, /k/ * The vocal cords do not vibrate when producing voiceless plosives. * /b/, /d/, /g/ can be devoiced when they follow a voiceless consonant. * /p/, /t/, /k/ can be aspirated when they follow a vowel sound, particularly in word-initial position in stressed syllables. ## Dipthongs * A glide from one vowel sound to another. * The organs involved move when going from the first sound to the second sound. * This movement is called a glide. ## Classifying Dipthongs * **Centering dipthongs:** end in /ə/ * /ɪə/: here, near, fear * /eə/: there, pair, bear * /ʊə/: poor, tour, sure * **Closing dipthongs:** end in /ʊ/, /ɪ/, or /eɪ/ * /eɪ/: they, say, play * /ɔɪ/: boy, toy, joy * /aʊ/: now, how, cow * /əʊ/: so, know, go * /aɪ/: my, buy, sigh * /aʊ/: out, about, shout * /ɔɪ/: boy, toy, joy, * /ɪə/: here, near, fear * /eə/: there, pair, bear * /ʊə/: poor, tour, sure ## Schwa * It is a weak vowel sound that is never stressed * It is typically found in unstressed syllables. * Lexical words that have only one syllable can't carry a schwa. * Words like "pear" and "pure" have a schwa because they are dipthongs and not schwa isolations (one syllable words).