Phonetics

Phonetics

The Production of Sounds,  Air Stream Mechanisms

Speech is a product of the breathing process. Breathing incorporates inhalation as well as expiration of air. There are three air stream types involved in the process.

The process of Sound Production

Location	Type	Organs	Air-Stream Mechanisms
Trunk Throat Head	Respiratory Phonatory Articulatory	Lungs Larynx Nose, lips,mouth	Pumonic ( lungs ) Glottalic ( Glottis) Velaric ( velum )

1.      Upper/lower lips                                                                       

2.      Upper  / lower Teeth                     

3.      Alveolar ridge                                     Articulatory Organ

4.      Hard Palate                          

5.      Soft Palate ( Velum )

6.      Uvula               

7.      Pharynx

8.      Tongue Tip ( Avicum )

9.      Tongue Centre ( Laminum )

10.  Tangue Back ( Dorsum )

11.  Epiglottis

12.  Larynx

13.  Glottis

14.  Trachea

15.  Oral Cavity

16.  Nasal Cavity

The Articulatory And Acoustic Parameter Of Consonants, Vowels And Diphthongs ( Segmentals) In English

Consonant Sounds

      Consonant sounds are sounds where there is a narrowing ar closure of the air stream in the vocal tract ,causing local audible friction or obtrusion before the air escapes. The two main  variants of consonant articulation are the place and manner or articulation.

Table of the  English consonant sounds according to place of articulation (24 consonant  phonemes)

Place	phoneme	Example in varios word positions Word initial            word medial                  word final
Bilabial	P b m w	Pin Ball Man Win	Apple Aboard Amount always	Cup Pub Roam -
Labiodental	F v	Fun Van	After Evict	Rough Believe
Dental	ᶿ ð	Thin This	Ether Either	Breath Breathe
Alveolar	t d s z i r n	Ten Day Sun Zoo Late Run Nine	Attain Ardeal Assign Hazy Alighat error onion	Cut Odd His Buzz Tail Far ( only across sentences or in rhotic American English Run
Palate Alveolar (alveopalatal)	∫ 3 t∫ d3	Ship - Chin Jump	Ashamed Treaaheadsure Achieve Adjust	Rush Rouge Much Judge
Palatal	j	Young	Mayor
Velar	k g n	Cut Gril -	Wicked Aghast Younger	Neck Rug Young
Glottal	h	Hot	Ahead	-

It  will be noticed that/w/j/h/ do not occur in word final positions whilst /ʒ,ή/ do not occur in word initial positions.

The English Consonant Sound According to Manners of Articulation

Plosives     /p/b//t/d/k/g/

Nasals     /m/n/ή/

Fricatives  /f/v/ᶿ/ð/s∫/ʒ/h

Affricates   /t∫/dʒ/

Laterals   /l/r

Liquid or

Semivowels     /w/j/