consonants phonetics

Outline

Definition

Classification

Description

Phonemes and Allophones

Transcription

Allophonic rules

definition

Consonant sounds are the sounds in

the production of which two

articulators come together so that the

airstream is obstructed and can not

get out freely.

eg. /p, k, s, t, j/

Speech organs (articulators)

classification

24 English consonants are classified

according to 3 criteria:

Place of articulation

Manner of articulation

Voicing

place of articulation

1. Bilabial (upper lip+lower lip)

/b, p, m, w/

2. Labiodental (lower lip+upper teeth)

/v, f/

3. Dental (tongue+teeth)

/D, T/

4. Alveolar (alveolar ridge+tongue)

/d, t, z, s, l, n/

place of articulation

5. Palato-alveolar (hard palate+alveolar

ridge+tongue)

/Z, S, dZ, tS, r/

6. Palatal (hard palate+tongue)

/j/

7. Velar (soft palate+tongue)

/g, k, Î/

8. Glottal (vocal cords)

/h/

manner of articulation

1. Plosive (complete closure+sudden

release)

/b, p, d, t, g, k/

2. Fricative (narrowing resulting in audible

friction)

/v, f, z, s, Z, h, D, T, S/

3. Affricate (closure+low separation)

/dZ, tS/

manner of articulation

4. Nasal (complete closure+air escape through nose)

/m, n, Î/

5. Lateral (closure in mouth centre+air escape at tongue sides)

/l/

6. Approximant (slight narrowing but not enough to cause friction)

/w, j, r/

voicing

Voiced Voiceless

b

v

D

d

z

Z

dZ

g

p

f

T

t

s

S

tS

k

Voiced Voiceless

m

n

Î

l

w

j

r

h

classification of consonantsbilabial

labiodental

dental

alveolar

palato-alveolar

palatal

velar

glottal

plosive + b- p

+ d- t

+ g- k

fricative

+ v- f

+D- T

+ z- s

+ Z- S

- h

affricate

+ dZ- tS

nasal + m + n + Î

lateral + lapproximant

+ w + r + j

Description of consonants

1.Plosives

2.Fricatives

3.Affricates

4. Nasals

5. Laterals

6.

Approximants

plosives

Features

Stages of plosives

Description

features of plosives

Place of articulation

Force of articulation

Aspiration

Voicing

place of articulation

/p, b/: bilabial

/t, d/: alveolar

/k, g/: velar

force of articulation

more muscular

energy, stronger

breath

less muscular energy,

weaker breath

/p, t, k/

FORTIS

/b, d, g/

LENIS

ASPIRATION

Voiceless plosives /p, t, k/

in syllable-initial position

ASPIRATE

D

voicing

Voiced plosives /b, d, g/

in word-medial position between voiced

sounds

FULL

VOICED

THREE STAGES OF PLOSIVES

Closing stage: articulating organs

move together to form obstruction

Compression stage: air compressed

behind closure

Release stage: compressed air escapes

abruptly

description of bilabial plosives

soft palate raised, nasal resonator shut off,

closure by lips

lung air compressed

vocal folds wide apart: /p/

vocal folds vibrating: /b/

lip closure released, air escaped /p, b/

description of alveolar plosives

soft palate raised, nasal resonator shut off,

closure by tip and rims of tongue, upper alveolar

ridge and side teeth

lung air compressed

vocal folds wide apart: /t/

vocal folds vibrating: /d/

alveolar closure suddenly separated, air escaped/t, d/

description of velar plosives

soft palate raised, nasal resonator shut off

closure by back of tongue and soft palate

lung air compressed

vocal folds wide apart: /k/

vocal folds vibrating: /g/

linguo-velar closure suddenly separated,

air escaped/k, g/

description of glottal plosive

vocal folds closed

silence

no vibration of vocal cords

vocal folds suddenly separated,

air pressure below glottis released

eg. It’s empty. / /

fricatives

Features

Description

features of fricatives

Place of articulation

Force of articulation

Voicing

place of articulation

/f, v/: labiodental

/D, T/: dental

/s, z/: alveolar

/Z, S/: palato-alveolar

/h/: glottal

force of articulation

more muscular

energy, stronger

breath

less muscular energy,

weaker breath

/f, T, s, S/

FORTIS

/v, D, z, Z/

LENIS

voicing

Voiced fricatives /v, D, z, Z/

between voiced sounds

FULL

VOICED

description of labiodental fricatives

soft palate raised, nasal resonator shut off

closure by inner surface of lower lip and edge of upper teeth

lung air compressed, friction

voiceless: /f/

voiced: /v/

air released

/f, v/

description of dental fricatives

soft palate raised, nasal resonator shut off

closure by tip and rims of tongue and edge, inner

surface of upper front teeth and upper side teeth

air causes friction

voiceless: / T /

voiced: /D/

air released /T, D/

description of alveolar fricatives

soft palate raised, nasal resonator shut off

closure by blade of tongue and upper alveolar ridge,

side rims of tongue and upper side teeth

air causes friction

between tongue and alveolar ridge

voiceless: /s/; voiced: /z/

air released /s, z/

description of palato-alveolar fricatives

soft palate raised, nasal resonator shut off

closure by tip and blade of tongue and alveolar ridge,

side rims of tongue and upper side teeth

front of tongue raised

friction between extensive area

of tongue and roof of mouth

voiceless: /S/; voiced: /Z/

air released /S, Z/

description of glottal fricative /h/

Only in syllable-initial, prevocalic positions

Voiceless

no closure

air expelled from lung with considerable pressure

friction throughout vocal tract

features of affricates

beginning as plosives but ending as fricatives

the plosive and the fricative being homorganic

eg. church /tS Æ: tS/ (but breakfast)

description of palato-alveolar affricates

soft palate raised, nasal resonator shut off,

closure by tip, blade and rims of tongue, upper alveolar

ridge and side teeth

front of tongue raised

closure released slowly,

friction between blade of tongue and

alveolar palatal of roof of mouth

voiceless /tS/; voiced /dZ/ /tS, dZ/

nasals

Features

Description

features of nasals

Total closure within the mouth at some

point, air escaped into nasal cavity

No audible friction is produced

nasals are voiced

description of bilabial nasal

lips closed, mouth chamber

closed,

soft palate lowered

resonance of nasal cavity added

to those of pharynx

air released /m/

description of alveolar nasal

closure by tongue, tip ridge and

upper side teeth,

soft palate lowered

resonance of nasal cavity added

to those of pharynx and that

part of mouth chamber

air released /n/

description of velar nasal

closure by back of tongue and velum,

soft palate lowered

resonance of nasal cavity added to

those of pharynx and that part of

mouth chamber

air released

* Only after /I, e, {, ö, Á/ /Î/

description of lateral /l/

Clear /l/ & Dark /l/

soft palate raised, nasal resonators shut off,

closure by tip of tongue and upper teeth ridge

air escaped on both sides

CLEAR /l/ DARK /l/

before vowel and /j/:

look

other positions: feel

front of tongue raised

towards hard palate,

front vowel resonance

front of tongue depressed,

back raised towards soft

palate,

back vowel resonance

approximants

Palato-alveolar

approximant /r/

Bilabial approximant /w/

Palatal approximant /j/

description of

palato-alveolar approximant

soft palate raised, nasal

resonator shut off, tip of tongue

held near to but not touching

rear part of upper teeth ridge,

central part of tongue lowered

airstream escapes without

friction /r/

description of bilabial approximant /w/

soft palate raised, vocal folds vibrate

tongue in position for back close-mid

to close vowel, moving away

immediately to position of following

sound

eg. weather. which, twin

description of palatal approximant /j/

tongue in position for close-mid to

close vowel front, moving away

immediately to position of following

sound

eg. yawn, senior, use

Phonemes & allophones

PHONEMES ALLOPHONES

Definition the smallest

segment of sound

that can distinguish

two words

ideal object

different realisations of

the same phoneme

physical

manifestations

Features • abstract

• limited (44)

• Difference

between phonemes

is functional

difference.

• real and concrete

• unlimited

• Difference between

allophones is phonetic

difference.

Example ‘cat’ & ‘bat’

‘cat’ & ‘cot’

‘speak’ & ‘pick’

‘note’ & ‘teeth’

transcription

Broad transcription

Narrow

transcription

BROAD TRANSCRIPTION

NARROW TRANSCRIPTION

A transcription that uses a simple set of symbols.

A transcription that shows more phonetic details by using more specific symbols, or by representing some allophonic differences.

Also called phonemic transcription

Also called phonetic transcription

Consists of phonemic symbols between two slanting lines peak /pi:k/ twin /twin/

Consists of phonemic symbols and diacritics between two square brackets peak [phi:k] twin [twoin]

20 Allophonic rules

rule 1

eg. ‘pipped’: [phipot]

‘testy’: [thsti]

-voiced

+stop

/p,t,k/

+aspirated

when syllable-initial

rule 2

eg. ‘try to improve’

but ‘bad girl’

+voiced

+obstruent

partially voiced

when syllable-final

except when followed

by a voiced sound

Obstruents = plosives + fricatives

/b, d, g, v, D, Z, z/

rule 3

eg. bib, did

+consonantal

longer

when at end of

phrase

rule 4

eg. twin [twoin]

cue [kjou]

+approximant

/w, r, j/

-voiced

after

[+aspirated, +plosive]

rule 5

eg. spew [spoju:]

stew [stoju:]

-voiced

+plosive

/p, t, k/

-aspirated

after /s/ at the beginning of a syllable

rule 6

eg. cap /k{p/ but cab /k{b/

back /b{k/ but bag

/b{g/

+vowel shorter

before voiceless sounds

in the same syllable

rule 7

-voiced longer

at end of syllable

eg. cap /k{p/ but cab /k{b/

back /b{k/ but bag

/b{g/

rule 8

+plosive

/p,b,t,

d,k,g/

unexploded

before [+plosive]

eg. apt [{pot]

act [{kot]

but ape

/eIp/

rule 9

-voiced

+plosive

/p,t,k/

after vowel and

at end of syllable

eg. tip [ti p]

pit [pi t]

kick [ki k]

+glottal plosive

-voiced+plosive

rule 10

-voiced

+alveolar

+plosive

/t/

+glottal plosive

before nasal

in same word

eg. beaten [bi n]

but beaten

[bi:tn]

rule 11

+nasal

/m,n, Î/+syllabic

at end of word

and after obstruents

eg. garden /ga:dn/

chasm /k{zm/

but film /fIlm/

rule 12

+lateral

/l/

+syllabic

at end of word

and after another consonant

eg. paddle /p{dl/

channel /tS{nl/

but file /faIl/

rule 13

-voiced

+alveolar

+plosive

/t/

-voiced

+tap

between stressed vowel

and unstressed syllable

eg. fatty /f{ri/ (AE) but /f{ti/ (BE)

data /deI r@/ (AE) but /deI t@/

(BE)

rule 14

+alveolar

/d,t,z,s, n,l/

+dental

before dental (D, T)

eg. sixth [sIksT]

wealth [welT]

but well /wel/

rule 15

+velar

/g,k,Î/more front

before more front vowel

eg. cat /k{t/

kept /kept/

give /gIv/

Front vowel: /I, i:, e,

{/

rule 16

+lateral

/l/

velarised

after vowel and before another

consonant or end of word

eg. file /faIl/ but life /laIf/

talc /t{lk/ but lack

/l{k/

rule 17

+vowel

longer

in open syllable

eg. see /si:/ but seed /si:d/

rule 18

+vowel

longer

in stressed syllable

eg. cite /saIt/ but citation

/saI'teISFn/

rule 19

+vowel

+nasal

before nasal /m,n,Î/

eg. ban/b{n/ but bag /b{g/

rule 20

+front

+vowel

retracted

before

syllable-final /l/

eg. heel /hi:l/ but heed /hi:d/

pail /peIl/ but paid /peId/

outline

Definition

Classification

Description

Phonemes and

Allophones

Transcription

Allophonic rules

Exercise

insect

sudden

mother

market

gesture

effect

fishing

danger