PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGYWEEK 5ENGLISH SOUNDS:VOWELS DIPHTHONGSCONSONANTS

VowelsProduced when the airstream is voiced through the vibration of the vocal cords in the larynx, and then shaped using the tongue and the lips to modify the overall shape of the mouthA sound in spoken language, such as English ah! [:] or oh! [o], pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottisThe position of the tongue is a useful reference point for describing the differences between vowel sound as shown in the diagram

Vowel soundsVowel sounds in the phonemic chart come from the letters a,e,i,o,u in the alphabet. Vowel sounds can be long or short. For example, 'sit' is a short sound, and 'seat' is a long sound. Long sounds have /:/ on the end, so they are easy to remember.

These diagrams show you what your lips look like when you make these sounds:

CharacteristicsThe front of the tongue is slightly behind and below the close front position. (The close position is where the tongue is closest to the roof of the mouth.) Lips are spread. The tongue is tense, and the sides of the tongue touch the upper molars.As in bead, key, cheese, scene, police, people, quay

Tips : A smiling sound. Smile widely, make and hold the sound. Demonstrate that it is a long sound.

CharacteristicsThe part of the tongue slightly nearer the centre is raised to just above the half-close position (not as high as in /i:/). The lips are spread loosely, and the tongue is more relaxed. The sides of the tongue may just touch the upper molarsAs in spinach (/spnd/), hit, sausage, biggest, rhythm, mountain, busy, women, sieve

Tips: Make the sound, and make it obviously short. If necessary, contrast with /i:/

CharacteristicsThe part of the tongue just behind the centre is raised, just above the half-close position. The lips are rounded, but loosely so. The tongue is relatively relaxed.As in book, good, woman, push, pull

Tips: A short sound. Exaggerate the forward position of your lips. One way into this sound is to make the sound a gorilla makes!

CharacteristicsThe back of the tongue is raised just below the close position. Lips are rounded. The tongue is tenseAs in food, rude, true, who, fruit, soup

Tips: Make and hold the sound. Use a rising then falling intonation, as if youve heard something surprising, or some interesting gossip (uuUUuu). Demonstrate that it is a long sound.

CharacteristicsThe front of the tongue is between the half-open and half-close positions. Lips are loosely spread, the tongue is more tense than for /I/, and the sides of the tongue may touch the upper molars.As in egg, left, said, head, read (past), instead, any, leisure, leopard

Tips: A short sound. Make the sound, and point out the loosely spread position of your lips.

CharacteristicsThe centre of the tongue is between the half-close and half-open positions. Lips are relaxed, and neutrally spread.As in about, paper, banana, nation, the (before consonants)Commonest vowel sound in English. Never stressed, and many unstressed vowels lean towards this soundTips: Friday afternoon sound. Relax your whole body, slump the shoulders, relax your face and mouth, and say //, as though completely exhausted.

CharacteristicsThe centre of the tongue is between the half-close and half-open positions. Lips are relaxed, and neutrally spread.As in shirt, her, word, further, pearl, serve, myrtle

Tips: The something horrible sound. Make and hold the sound, curl your upper lip, and pretend to look at something nasty. Look in the litter bin, if there is one to hand. Demonstrate that it is a long sound.

CharacteristicsThe back of the tongue is raised to between the half-open and half-close positions. Lips are loosely rounded.As in fork, call, sore, taught, bought, board, saw, pour, broad, all, law, horse, hoarse

Tips: The either/or sound. Liken it to the word or. Demonstrate that it is a long sound.

CharacteristicsThe front of the tongue is raised to just below the half-open position. Lips are neutrally open.As in bat, attack, antique, plait

Tips: Make the sound, and point out the neutrally open shape of your lips

CharacteristicsThe centre of the tongue is raised to just above the fully open position. Lips are neutrally open.As in run, uncle, front, nourish, does, come, flood, glove, dove

Tips: Make the sound, and throw your head back slightly as you do it. This works well if contrasted with //.

CharacteristicsThe tongue, between the centre and the back, is in the fully open position Lips are neutrally open.As in far, part, half, class,, command, clerk, memoir, aunty, hearth

Tips: The holding the baby sound. Place your arms as though holding a baby, and say /:/. Demonstrate that it is a long sound.

CharacteristicsThe back of the tongue is in the fully open position. Lips are lightly rounded.As in dog, often, cough, want, because, knowledge, Australia

Tips: Make the sound, and point out your lightly rounded lips.

DiphthongsA combination of vowel soundsA closer analysis shows there is a glide (movement of the tongue, lips and jaw) from one pure vowel sound to anotherA succession of two vowel sounds where the tongue starts in the position of one vowel and proceeds on to the position of the other it is also known as a vowel glide (Baskaran:2005)British English is usually described as having eight diphthongs whilst American English has only fiveWhen you pronounce diphthongs, make sure you say both sounds, not just one of them.

Tips: For all diphthongs, one of the best techniques is to make and hold the first element, then slowly move to the second. Finish off by making the sound at a normal speed

CharacteristicsThe glide begins in the position for /I/, moving down and back towards //. The lips are neutral, but with a small movement from spread to openAs in beer, beard, fear, pierce, Ian, here, idea

Tips: Make the sound while tugging your ear.

CharacteristicsThe glide begins in the position for //, moving forwards and down towards //. The lips are loosely rounded, becoming neutrally spread.As in moor, tour, obscure, *sure*Quite a rare diphthong. Many speakers replace it with /:/

Tips: Hold the first sound, and move to the second.

CharacteristicsThe glide begins in the position for /e/, moving back towards //. The lips remain neutrally open.As in where, wear, chair, dare, stare, there

Tips: Liken this to the word air. Point to your hair. Say over there, or on the chair. All will give good examples of the sound, which you can then isolate.

CharacteristicsThe glide begins in the position for /e/, moving up and slightly back towards //. The lips are spread.As in cake, way, weigh, say, pain, they, vein

Tips: Pretend not to hear someone, and say eh?

CharacteristicsThe glide begins in the position for / :/, moving up and forward towards //. The lips start open and rounded, and change to neutral.As in spoil, avoid, voice, soil, coil

Tips: Works best with these words: toy, boy, enjoy.

CharacteristicsThe glide begins in an open position, between front and centre, moving up and slightly forward towards //. The lips move from neutral, to loosely spread.As in high, tie, buy, kite, might, cry, eye

Tips: Make the sound and point to your eye.

CharacteristicsThe glide begins in the position for //, moving up and back towards //. The lips are neutral, but change to loosely rounded.As in go, snow, toast, home, hello, although

Tips: Words like Oh, hello said slowly, and exaggerated a little, works well.

CharacteristicsThe glide begins in a position quite similar to /:/, moving up towards //. The lips start neutral, with a movement to loosely rounded. The glide is not always completed, as the movement involved is extensiveAs in house, loud, down, how, bough

Tips: The shut your finger in the door sound. Pretending to do this and making the sound while pulling a pained expression works rather well!

CONSONANTSA speech sound made by stopping all or some of the air going out of your mouth. All the letters of the English alphabet are consonants except for a, e, i, o, and u, which are vowels.

Consonant sounds are described by where (place) they are produced (both lips, tongue tip on teeth, etc.) and how (manner) they are produced (aspirated, etc.)

All consonant sounds can also be described as voiced or voiceless.

When air passes by the vocal folds and causes them to vibrate, sound is produced. A consonant that is made this way is called a voiced sound and the vibration can be felt by putting your fingers on the front of your throat.

When air passes by the vocal folds without vibrating them, the sound of exhaled air gives the consonant sound a voiceless quality. When you put your fingers on the front of your throat, you wont feel any vibration.

Describing Consonants Is it voiced or voiceless?All consonant sounds are either voiced (vocal cords vibrating during the articulation of the sound) or voiceless (vocal cords not vibrating during the articulation of the sound)

What is the place if articulation?Specific parts of the speech organs are involved in producing specific sounds

What is the manner of articulation?The combination of tongue movement and articulation with the corresponding effect on the air stream coming out from the mouth of nose

PLACE OF ARTICULATION

Labial / Bilabial CharacteristicsThe articulators are the two lips. The flow of air is stopped or restricted by the two lips. It can be described that the lower lip is the active articulator and the upper lip the passive articulator, though the upper lip usually moves too, at least a little. English bilabial sounds include /p/, /b/, and /m/As inpat, bat and mat

Dental / InterdentalCharacteristicsThe articulators include the tip of the tongue that moves towards the upper teethDentals / Interdentals are consonants for which the flow of air is restricted by catching the tongue between the teeth. English dental sounds include // and // As in thin and father

LabiodentalCharacteristicsThe articulators include the lower lip that moves towards the upper teethLabiodentals are consonants for which the flow of air is restricted by the lip and teeth English labiodental sounds include /f/ and /v/ As in flower and vase

AlveolarCharacteristicsThe articulators include the tongue tip that moves towards the alveolar ridgeAlveolars are consonants for which the flow of air is stopped or impeded by creating a block or a small aperture between the tongue and the alveolar ridge. English alveolar sounds include /t/, /d/, /s/, /z/, /l/, /r/As intattoo, daddy, sun, zoo, late and run

PalatalCharacteristicsThe articulators are the middle tongue and the hard palate The flow of air is restricted creating a block or an aperture between the middle of the tongue and the region of the hard palateThe English palatal sounds include /j/As in yacht

Palato-alveolarCharacteristicsThe articulators are the middle and blade of the tongue, the hard palate and the alveolar ridgeAlveopalatals are consonants for which the flow of air is stopped or impeded by creating a block or a small aperture between the blade of the tongue and the junction of the hard palate and the alveolar ridge. The English palato-alveolar sounds include //, //, /t/ and /d/ As in ship, treasure, chin and jump

VelarCharacteristicsThe articulators are the back of tongue and the soft palate or velumVelars are consonants for which the flow of air is stopped or impeded by creating a block or a small aperture between the tongue and the velum (soft palate). The English velar sounds include /k/, /g/ and //As in cap, gap and sing

Glottis CharacteristicsThe articulators are the vocal cords. The vocal cords open and close according to the air streamEnglish glottal sounds include /h/As inhot and ahead

MANNER OF ARTICULATION Plosives / Stops:Stops are consonants formed by completely stopping the flow of air somewhere in the vocal apparatus, and then releasing the air. Since the sudden release of the pent-up air creates a small explosive sound, stops are also called plosives. Stops may be voiced or voiceless. English plosive sounds are /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/ and /g/ Nasals: Nasals are consonants that are formed by blocking the oral passage by lowering the uvula and allowing the air to escape through the nose. English nasals are /m/, /n/ and //

MANNER OF ARTICULATION Fricatives: Fricatives are consonants that are formed by impeding the flow of air somewhere in the vocal apparatus so that a friction-sound is produced as the air is squeezed through a narrow gap. Fricatives may be voiced or voiceless such as /f/, /v/, /s/, /z/, //, //, // and // Affricatives: Affricates are consonants that are formed by stopping the flow of air somewhere in the vocal apparatus, and then releasing the air relatively slowly so that a friction-sound is produced. English has only two affricates, one of which is voiced and one of which is voiceless. These are /t/ (as in church) and /d/ (as in judge)

MANNER OF ARTICULATION Lateral: Laterals are consonants formed by allowing the air to escape around the sides of the tongue while there is a complete closure in the middle of the mouth by the tongue tip against the alveolar ridge. English has only one lateral, which is voiced. It is the sound /l/ Semivowels: Semivowels are vowel-like consonants: that is, the air-flow is not stopped or impeded so as to cause a friction-sound, but the aperture through which the air passes is smaller than the aperture of any vowel. Also, in forming words, semivowels appear in positions where consonants normally appear. Present-Day English has two semivowels, both of which are voiced. These are /w/ and /j/

Practice Makes Perfect!

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