nha1 - nasals, lateral, approximants

CONSONANTS

I> Structure of the larynx & 4 different position of the glottis

II> Definition of & differences among consonantsIII> Consonant sounds

III.1> Plosives (stops) III.2> Fricatives III.3> Affricates

III.4> Nasals

III.5> Lateral

III.6> Approximants

III.4> Nasals

III.4.1> Definition

III.4.2> Classification

III.4.3> Characteristics

III.4.1> Definition

Nasals /m, n, 7/: the oral passage is completely closed (due to there is a complete closure of articulators e.g. two lips for /m/, the tip and the tooth ridge for /n/ and the tongue and the velum) and the air flow escapes through the nasal cavity.

Nasals and fricatives are also called continuants because they can be held so long as there is the air in the lungs to release through nasal cavity and oral cavity, respectively.

III.4.2> Classification

Bilabial

/m/

Alveolar

/n/

Velar

/ 7/

Voiced Voiced Voiced

Articulation of bilabial nasal stop

2 lips are pressed together

Velum is lowered

Articulation of alveolar nasal stop

Tongue blade is pressed against alveolar ridge

Velum is lowered

Articulation of velar nasal stop

Back of tongue is against the soft palate/velum

Velum is lowered

III.4.3> Characteristics

/m,n/ can occur in all positions in a word, e.g.: meet, mammal, mom

/7/ never occurs in initial position, only medially or at the end of a word, e.g.: English /17gl1~/, sing /s17/

/7/ never occurs after a long vowel or diphthong, only after /1 e ` ^ 4/

Pronunciation of –ng spelling- /7/: at final position of a morpheme, e.g.:

long /l47/, hang /h`7/- /7g/: in the middle of a morpheme, e.g.:

anger /`7g6/; exception: comparative & superlative adjectives, e.g.: longer /l47g6/, longest /l47g6st/

/7/: phonetically simple but phonologically complex

/n/ can occur before a velar sound /k,g/ /7/

E.g.: bang / b`7 /, bank / b`7k/Nasalization: final nasals nasalize the

preceding vowels/diphthongs, e.g.: pin [phĩn ], time [thãim], sing [shĩ7]

III.5> LateralIII.5.1> Definition

Lateral (liquid) /l/: produced by channeling the air on each side of the tongue, for which /l/ is called the lateral sound.

Is a sound “in which the passage of air through the mouth doesn’t go in the usual way along the center of the tongue; instead, there is a complete closure between the center of the tongue & the part of the roof of the mouth where contact is to be made…The only way for the air to escape is along the sides of the tongue” [Roach, 2000:61].

III.5.2> Classification

/l/: voiced, alveolar, lateral

III.5.3> Characteristics

Positions in a word:

-initial: love

-medial: killer

-final: feel

Light/clear [l]: pronounced when the air passes over one or both side(s) of the tongue with the tongue tip touching the alveolar ridge, e.g. listen.

Dark/velarized [ɫ]: formed by “the air passing the body of the tongue which is bunched up in the velar position” [Celce-Murcia et al., 2002: 44], e.g. toll, bell.

-Clear /l/: before a vowel, with the front of the tongue raised raised toward the alveolar ridge, e.g.: like, link -Dark /l/: after a vowel, with the back of the tongue raised toward the velum & lips rounded

Clear and dark /l/ are allophones of the same phoneme /l/ in complementary distribution

Devoiced /l/

-E.g.: clear, play

After /p,t,k/, at the beginning of a stressed syllable

III.6> ApproximantsIII.6.1> Definition

Formed when “the air stream moves around the tongue and out the mouth in a relatively unobstructed manner” [Celce-Murcia et al., 2002: 45]

Is a sound in which the articulators approach each other but do not close to each other to produce a “complete” consonant such as a plosive, nasal or fricative.

/l/ and /r/ are “called liquids because, in pronunciation of these sounds, the air passes through the mouth in a somewhat fluid manner.” [Avery & Ehrlich, 1995: 22]

III.6.2> Classification: Approximants

Bilabial Post-alveolar Palatal

w r j

Voiced Voiced Voiced

The tongue tip approaches the alveolar area but never actually makes contact with any part of the roof of the mouth.

The air escapes through an opening down in the middle of the oral cavity

The lips are slightly rounded.

The tongue tip is slightly further back in the mouth then /t,d/

2 lips approach each other

Tongue tip approaches the palate

III.6.3>Characteristics

Retroflex /r/: the tongue is slightly curled backwards with the tip raised

Voiceless & slightly fricative /r/: at the beginning of a syllable after /p,t,k/: print, tree, cream

Rhotic & non-rhotic /r/

- Rhotic: car /ka:r/, work /w3:rk/

occurs in final position (before a pause), & before a consonant (in American, Scottish, West of England accents)

-Non-rhotic: red/red/, car /ka:/, work /w3:k/Only occurs before a vowel; if after a vowel it

is not pronounced

/j,w/: phonetically like vowels, but phonologically like consonants

semi-vowels/semi-consonantsDevoiced /w,j/: slighltly fricatives after

initial /p,t,k/, e.g.: pure /pj$6/, tune /tju:n/, queue /kju:/, twin /tw1n/, quick /kwik/

Group of semi-vowels: /h,w,j/