The Production of Speech

An airstream initiated by the lungs is known as pulmonic.

Egressive Pulmonic Airstream Mechanism

Produce speech sound

AIR(pushed

out)

Vocal cord

THROAT

into MOUTH

and NOSE

LUNG

out of the body

Egressive

pulmonic

airstream

The Vocal Tract

tube that starts above the larynx and ends behind the root of the tongue.

Can be seen when the mouth is opened

Pharynx

Top end of tube

Back of the oral cavity

The opening of the way through

nasal cavity

Soft part of the mouth (can feel it if lift the tongue backwards and upwards)

Velum or Soft palate

May be raised • To block the passage of the nasal

cavity • The airstream can only escape

through the oral cavity• Oral sound = /s/ and /t/

Can be lowered• To block the oral cavity • Air can only escape through

nasal cavity• Nasal consonants = /m/ /n/

and /𝔶/

‘Roof of the mouth’ Can feel its smooth curved with the tongue Palatal /j/ is produced.

Hard Palate

Located directly behind the top front teeth. Its surface is covered with little ridges. Alveolar sounds = /t/ and /d/

Alveolar Ridge

Very important and flexible articulator

Tongue

Tongue

Tip

Blade

FrontBack

Root

Lined round the upper and lower sides of the mouth(back almost to the soft palate)

are produced when the tongue in the contact with the upper teeth

Dental sound = /𝜽/ and /ð/

Teeth

• The lips can be pressed together and released suddenly

/p/ and /b/

• or rounded Vowel /u:/

Lips

SOUND

Using the lips

Labial

Bilabial (if both lips are

involved)

Lips contact with teeth (/f/) Labiodentals

LarynxJaws

Nose and Nasal Cavity

Known as Adam’s apple or voice box

Located in the larynx are the vocal cords (control the passage of air to and from lung)

The vibration of the larynx when to produce voiced sound /z/

Larynx

The movement of the jaws (the lower one) helps a lot in speaking

Are not articulators as the same way as others (cannot make contact with other articulators)

Jaws

Important part of vocal apparatus of making sound (nasal consonants /m/,/n/)

Are not moveable so cannot be considered as articulators.

Nose and Nasal Cavity