CLASSIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF CONSONANTS

CONSONANTS

CONSONANTS are sounds produced with an

egressive flow of air coming out of the mouth

or the nose accompanied by obstruction or

friction in the articulators.

ARTICULATING ORGANS

24 Consonants in English

• /p/ • / b/

• / t/

• / d/

• / k/

• / g/

• /f/

• /v/

• /Ɵ/

• /ð/

• /s/

• /z/

• /ʃ/

• /ʒ/

• /m/

• /n/

• /Ƞ/

• /tʃ/

• /dʒ/

• /j/

• /w/

• /h/

• /r/

• /l/

Consonants can be classified on the basis of

Air stream mechanism

State of glottis

The position of the soft palate

Points of articulation

The manner of articulation

The position of the soft palate

• Oral sounds /p/ /t/ /k/ /f/ / / /s/ / / /h/ /t / /b/ /d/ /g/ /v/ Ɵ ʃ ʃ /ð/ /z/

/ʒ/ /dʒ/ /j/ /w/ /r/ /l/

• Nasal sounds /m/ /n/ /Ƞ/

Points of Articulation

• Bilabial made with the two lips (/p/, /b/,/w/ /m/).

• Labiodental the lower lip articulates with the upper

teeth (/f/, /v/).

• Dental the tongue tip articulate with the upper

teeth (/ / ,Ɵ /ð/)

• Alveolar the tongue tip and/or blade articulates with

the alveolar ridge (/t, d, n, l, s, z/).

• Post-alveolar the blade articulates with the alveolar ridge

(/r/)

• Palato -alveolar The tip ,blade, and front of the tongue

articulates with the hard palate (/ ʃ ʒ tʃ dʒ/ )

• Palatal the front (or blade) of the tongue articulates

with the hard palate (/j/).

• Velar the back of the tongue articulates with the

soft palate (/k g Ƞ/).

• Glottal sounds involving an obstruction or narrowing

of the glottis (/h/)

Manner of Articulation

• Plosives A complete closure at some point in the vocal

tract, behind which the air pressure builds up and can be released with a sudden burst (plosion) /p, b, t, d, k, g/.

• Affricates Affricates are consonants articulated with a

stricture of firm closure of mouth followed by a slow release. /t /ʃ /dʒ/

• Fricatives Fricatives are produced with a stricture

almost approximation. / f, v, , Ɵ ð, h, z, s/

• Frictionless continuent

These are sounds produced with an open approximation /r/

• Semi Vowels These are also consonants articulated with

an open approximation. They are vowel like in quality and function like consonants.

/j/ & /w/

Description of English Consonants

• /p/ - voiceless bilabial plosive

• / b/ - voiced bilabial plosive

• / t/ - voiceless alveolar plosive

• / d/ - voiced alveolar plosive

• / k/ - voiceless velar plosive

• / g/ - voiced velar plosive

• /f/ - voiceless labio-dental fricative

• /v/ - voiced labio-dental fricative

• /Ɵ/ - voiceless dental fricative

• /ð/ - voiced dental fricative

• /s/ - voiceless alveolar fricative

• /z/ - voiced alveolar fricative

• / / - voiceless palato – alveolar fricativeʃ

• / ʒ / - voiced palato-alveolar fricative

• /h/ - voiceless glottal fricative

• /t / - voiceless palato -alveolar affricateʃ

• /dʒ/ - voiced palato -alveolar affricate

• /m/ - voiced bi-labial nasal

• /n/ - voiced alveolar nasal

• /Ƞ/ - voiced velar nasal

• /j/ - voiced palatal semi-vowel

• /w/ - voiced bi-labial semi-vowel

• /r / - voiced post-alveolar frictionless

continuent

• /l/ -voiced alveolar lateral

HARIKRISHNA S HENGLISH OPTIONAL KUCTE KOLLAM