Link to glossary

 

 

 

English Structures

Phonetics

Pages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Moodle TESL 551: Crowley   Houts-Smith
 

 

 

 

 

Consonants

2. The Place of Articulation

After identifying the state of the vocal folds, we next identify a sound by its place of articulation. That is, we refer to which parts of the vocal tract move in order to produce the sound. And of course we don’t use everyday words like lips and teeth; we use the Latin scientific words.

Activity: Learning the Parts of the Vocal Tract

The first step to understanding how the parts of the vocal tract move to produce sound is to learn the names of the different parts of the vocal tract.

An interactive image of the vocal tract can be found by clicking on Physics and Physiology of Speech 3.

Start at the top of the diagram to view the names of the parts of the vocal tract, and at the same time, use your tongue to touch the parts of your own mouth that are demonstrated on the diagram.

Run through the diagram several times in order to become familiar with the terms and their meanings.

Activity: Learning the Technical Names of Places of Articulation

Click on the link to open a new page where an interactive demonstration of the ways consonants are produced can be found. Use the interactive site to demonstrate the written definitions below. Physics and Physiology of Speech 3.

Bilabial (two lips) lower lip and upper lip.

A bilabial sound is produced by using both lips pressed together.

This produces three different English sounds:

  • [p] voiceless
  • [b] voiced
  • [m] voiced

Labiodental (lips and teeth) lower lip/upper teeth.

A labiodental sound is produced by placing the upper teeth on the lower lip.

 There are two labiodental sounds in English:
  • [f] voiceless
  • [v] voiced

Interdental (between the teeth) tongue, upper, and lower teeth.

An interdental sound is produced by putting the tip of the tongue between the upper and the lower teeth.

 Two sounds in English are Interndental sounds:
  • [θ] voiceless (thin)
  • [ð] voiced (then)

Dental (teeth) tongue tip and upper teeth

A dental sound is produced by placing the blade of the tongue on the back side of the upper teeth.

 Dental sounds are not typical of American English.

Alveolar (the alveolar ridge) tongue tip and alveolar ridge

An alveolar sound is produced by placing the tongue tip on or just in front of the alveolar ridge (the bump behind the upper teeth). In the case of [ɹ] the tongue tip is close to but not actually touching the alveolar ridge.

 There are several sounds in English that are alveolar sounds
  • [d] voiced
  • [z] voiced
  • [l] voiced
  • [n] voiced
  • [ɹ] voiced
  • [t] voiceless
  • [s] voiceless

Palatoalveolar (hard palate and alveolar ridge) tongue blade and hard palate. These sounds are also called alveopalatal or post alveolar.

A palatoalveolar sound is produced by placing the tongue blade close to the hard palate behind the alveolar ridge. The tongue tip may feel as if it is just barely behind the alveolar ridge.

There are two palatoalveolar sounds in English:

  • [ʃ] voiceless (shin)
  • [ʒ] voiced (azure)

Palatal (hard palate) tongue body and hard palate

A palatal sound is made by bringing the tongue body up close to the hard palate.

English has one clear palatal sound [j] voiced (you)

Some linguists and textbook authors consider the [ʃ] and [ʒ] palatal, not palatoalveolar.

Velar (velum or soft palate) tongue back and soft palate

A velar sound is produce by bringing the tongue back up close to or incontact with the soft palate.

There are three velar sounds in English:

  • [k] voiceless
  • [g] voiced
  • [ŋ] voiced (sing)

Uvular (uvula, the thing that hangs down in the back of your throat) tongue back and back end flap of soft palate

A uvular sound is produced by bringing the tongue back in contact with the uvula

 There are no uvular sounds in English, but German, French, and Arabic all have some:
  • [ʁ] German pronunciation for r, French pronunciation for r, Arabic pronunciation for the letter ghain

Pharyngeal (pharynx) tongue root and back of pharyngeal wall

a pharyngeal sound is made by bringing the tongue root close to the back of the throat.

There are no pharyngeal sounds in English, but Arabic has some.
  • [ħ] in Arabic is a kind of h sound that seems like you are steaming up your glasses to clean them.

Glottal (vocal folds)

A glottal sound is prodcued by moving the vocal folds.

 English has two glottal sounds. The second sound has no letter to represent it because it is a sound of silence.
  • [h] voiceless
  • [ʔ] voiceless (the break between the syllables of uh-oh)
Continue with Part 4

 
American Sign Language The sign language used by the deaf community in the United States.
Test of English for International Communication. A standardized exam for Educational Testing Services that is intended to determine the general capability of an NNSE to use English to conduct business. It is used by some businesses, predominantly in Asia, in hiring.
Test of English as a Foreign Language. A standardized exam from Educational Testing Services that is intended to determine the general capability of an NNSE to use English as the language of insruction .It is used as an admissions requirement by most US universities and colleges for international students.
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. A term that encompasses both TEFL and TESL. It is the name of the professional organization to which many teachers belong. TESOL the organization has many regional affiliates both in the US and abroad.
Teaching English as Second Language. Refers to the activity of teaching the English language as a tool necessary for some daily task like instruction, shopping, or interpersonal interactions.
Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Refers to the activity of teaching the English language as an intellectual, academic pursuit to non-native speakers of English.
Native Speaker of English. Refers to a person who acquired English in infancy and young childhood as a first language.
Native Speaker. Refers to a person whose relationship to a language is that it was encountered in infancy and young childhood as the dominant language of the environment.
Non-Native Speaker of English. Refers to a person who didn't acquire English as a first language, but came to it after another language was established.
Non-Native Speaker. Refers to a person whose relationship to a particular language is that he/she didn't encounter it while initially acquiring language, but came to it after another language was established.
Limited English Proficient. An adjectival phrase used to refer to the same students as ELL refers to. LEP is falling into disuse as it focuses attention on student deficiency rather than on the positive attribute of learning. Is being replaced by ELL.
Second Language. Refers to any language gained subsequent to the first or native language. It is acquired or learned secondarily to the native language. Doesn't refer to the ordinal numbering of languages, only to the relationship of a particular language to a persons native language.
First Language. Refers to the language that an individual encounters as an infant and young child; a persons native language.
English for Specific Purposes. Refers to the goal of learning English to use it for highly focused activity, such as for business or for aviation communication.
English as a Second Language Program. refers to a school program that is purposefully structured to provide instruction on the English language to NNSEs. An ESL program does not typically include instruction in any other subjects than English. An ESL program may be a component of a larger ELL program at a school.
English as a Second Language. Refers to the subject matter of the English language and the methodology for teaching the English language to non-native speakers. ESL makes no reference to the subjects other than English, but it is not methodology alone either, it refers to teaching the English language as content area. Typically, ESL refers to the study of English in a country where it is used for at least one daily task, such as instruction, interpersonal relations, or shopping.
English Langauge Learner Program. Refers to a school program that is purposly structured to provide instruction on the English language and instruction in other content areas to English Language Learners.
English Language Learner. Refers to students who are in the process of learning English, whether they are in ESL classes exclusively or a combination of ESL classes and other subject area classes.
English as a Foreign Langauge. Refers to the study of English as an intellectual, academic pursuit, not a a language whose use is necessary or desirable for daily life, although it may be used as a research tool. Typically, EFL is the study of English in a country where English is not a language of instruction or daily interactions, such as in Italy or in Saudi Arabia.
English for Academic Purposes. Refers to the goal of learning English to use it as the language of instruction for other subject areas.
Refers to a school program that is purposely structured so that students will use two languages on a daily basis.
Refers to the use of two languages in any capacity on a daily basis. A bilingual person uses two languages on a daily basis--for work and at home, perhaps, or for different subjects at school. Can also refer to the ability to use two languages, even if not used daily.