Place of articulation (phonetics)

Bilabial

Both lips are used as the articulators. Examples are the initial consonants [p], [b] and [m] in PIN, BIN and MAN.

Labio-Dental

The lower lip & the biting edge of the upper central teeth = articulators. 2 examples are the initial fricative consonants [f] and [v] in FAT and VAT. Some speakers use this approximant [ʋ] as the articulation of in words such as ROY and RED. (The sound is not quite the same as a [w]

Dental

The back of the upper teeth & the tip of the tongue. For some speakers it is the blade. Ex: are the 2 sounds [θ] and [ð] in the words THIGH and THY; these are dental fricatives. Dental plosives are {d} and {t} of WIDTH and EIGHTH.

Alveolar ridge

with the blade or tip of the tongue. There are a number of these consonants in English, for example the [t] in TEN & [d] in Den, the [n] & [l] in KNELL (no [k] sound!), the [s] of SCENIC, the [z] of BUSY, & the {r} of RED if it is pronounced as a tap or a trill.

Post-Alveolar/ hard palate

the area at the rear edge of the alveolar ridge. Productions of [tr] of TRY & [dr] of DRY often involve post-alveolar articulations. A common pronunciation of the {r} in RED is an approximant, [ɹ]. (In some books you will find [r] used as the symbol instead of [ɹ].)

Palato-Alveolar

This is best thought of as an alveolar place, but there is simultaneous raising of the front of the tongue towards the hard palate. SHop, viSion, treaSure

Retroflex

This refers to the shape of the tip & blade of the tongue i.e: curled back. It is used to indicate a place of articulation, namely the hard palate, underneath which the tip and blade curl back. Ex: (in English, depending on the accent, include) the of RED

Palatal

The hard palate is one of the articulators; the other is normally the front of the tongue. The of YES [j] is a palatal approximant. Many speakers use a palatal fricative [ç] for the at the beginning of HUGH.

Velar, soft palate or velum

is one of the articulators; the other is usually the back of the tongue. Ex: are the plosives [k] in CATCH. [g] in Get. & the nasal [ŋ] in HANG. The [w] sound of WET is also velar, but it involves an additional place of articulation.

Uvular

is relatively small & the production of these sounds frequently involves not only the uvula but also the bottom half of the soft palate. The voiced uvular fricative [ʁ] can occasionally be heard in certain rural accents as realisations of the {r} in DRY

Glottal

Used as articulators to obstruct or narrow the air-flow from the lungs. The glottal plosive, [ʔ] is produced with the vocal folds pushed together so that air-pressure builds up beneath the closure; after a short time the folds move apart & the pressurised air is released.

Labial-Velar

DOUBLE ARTICULATION using The lips, the back of the tongue, & the soft palate. The [w] in WET is a labial-velar approximant. I.e: The consonant [wh] of WHEN in American pronunciations of the word is a voiceless labial-velar fricative [ʍ].