MS NAMOLANE
PHONETICS & PHONOLOGY
Learning outcomes
By the end of this lecture, students should be able to:
 Name different places of articulation
 Compare and contrast places of articulation
Places of articulation
What is place of articulation
Place of articulation refers to the point of contact where
an obstruction occurs in the vocal tract between
an articulatory gesture, an active articulator (typically
some part of the tongue), and a passive location (typically
some part of the roof of the mouth)
Places of articulation means when we produce sound,
sometime our tongue touches our lips and sometime only
our lips come together and make sound, sometime our
tongue touches our soft palate or back part alveolar
tongue. So, this touching of places our vocal tract of
speech organs is call place of articulation.
Key concepts
Bilabials: these are sounds formed using both (=bi) upper and lower lips
(=labia). The initial sounds in the words pat, bat and mat are all bilabials.
They are represented by the symbols [p], which is voiceless, and [b] and [m],
which are voiced. The [w] sound found at the beginning of way, walk and
world is also bilabial.
When we produce [p] [b] [m] we articulate these sounds by bringing the lips
together.
Labiodentals: these are sounds formed with the upper teeth and the lower lip.
The initial sounds of the words fat and vat and the final sounds in the words
safe and save are labiodentals. They are represented by the symbols [f],
which is voiceless, and [v], which is voiced. Notice that the final sounds of
laugh and cough, and the initial sound of photo, despite the spelling
differences, are all pronounced as [f].
Key concepts
Dentals: these sounds are formed with the tongue tip behind the upper front
teeth. The term interdental is sometimes used to describe a manner of
pronunciation with the tongue tip between (=inter) the upper and lower teeth.
The initial sound of thin and the final sound of bath are both voiceless
dentals. The symbol used for this sound is [ᶿ], usually referred to as ‘theta’,
three and teeth. The voiced dental is represented by the symbol [ᶞ] usually
called ‘eth’. This sound is found in the pronunciation of the initial sound of
common words like the, there, then, and thus. It’s also the middle sound in
feather and the final sound bathe.
Alveolars: these are sounds formed with the front part of the tongue on the
alveolar ridge, which is the rough, bony ridge immediately behind the upper
teeth. The initial sounds in top, dip, sit, zoo and nut are all alveolars. The
symbols for these sounds are quite easily remembered – [t], [d],[s],[z],[n].
Cont…
[t] and[s] are voiceless, whereas [d],[z] and [n] are voiced.
Other examples of alveolars are the [l] sound found at the beginning of words
such as lap and lit, and [r] sound at the beginning of right, write and rip.
Palatals: [j] these are speech sounds produced by raising the blade, or front of
the tongue toward or against the hard palate just behind the alveolar ridge
(the gums). We know that the roof of our mouth is a sensitive area, and it is
most affected when we eat or drink something hot or cold or spicy. This area
is called the hard palate. Thus, as the name suggests, we create palatal
sounds when we raise the tongue to this point and stop or constrict the
airflow coming from the inside.
Cont…
Velars: [k] [g] [ŋ] these sounds are produced by raising the back of the tongue
to the soft palate or velum. The initial and final sounds of the words kick[kik]
and gig [gig] and the final sounds of the words back[baek], bag[baeg] and
bang[ŋ] [baeᵑ are all velar sounds.
Uvulars: [R] [Q] [G] these sounds are produced by raising the back of the
tongue to the uvula, the fleshly protuberance that hangs down in the back of
our throats.
Glottals: [h] [ˀ] these are speech sounds produced by obstructing airflow in
the vocal tract, or more precisely the glottis. This is the point of articulation
where we get rid of the tongue. The glottis is simply the two vocal folds that
we have. We can say that it acts like a bottle cap to our windpipes. So, the
simple methodology is to inhale and hold our breathes for a few seconds,
while keeping our mouths open. How are we doing this? We are making use
of these bottle caps, or glottis, by making them stop the airflow.
Cont…
But the thing is, glottal consonants, are not actually consonants in our language,
raBut the thing is, glottal consonants, are not actually consonants in our
language, rather they “play” or “act” like consonants, by partially acting like
points of articulation.
We have a good example of the word “Hi” that we often use. See that in this
word, the sound of /h/ is made with the help of glottis. In other words, we are
exhaling, or letting the airstream a bit harder, by constricting it from the
glottis.
ther they “play” or “act” like consonants, by partially acting like points of
articulation.
We have a good example of the word “Hi” that we often use. See that in this
word, the sound of /h/ is made with the help of glottis. In other words, we are
exhaling, or letting the airstream a bit harder, by constricting it from the
glottis.
Aspiration is the strong burst of air that accompanies the release of certain
plosive consonants.
Aspiration is the strong burst of air that accompanies the release of certain
plosive consonants.