Phonological Distinctive Feature Definitions

[sonorant]

vocal tract configuration permits spontaneous voicing

[syllabic]

can serve as the nucleus of a syllable

[consonantal]

has a major obstruction in the oral cavity

[continuant]

produced with air flowing continuously through oral cavity

[approximant]

produced with an oral constriction that does not result in an increase in air pressure

[labial]

produced using the lips

[round]

produced with lip rounding

[labiodental]

produced with a labiodental construction

[coronal]

produced with the tip or blade of the tongue raised from the neutral position

[anterior]

produced with a major construction at or in front of the alveolar ridge

[distributed]

produced with constriction that extends for a considerable distance along the direction of airflow

[dorsal]

produced with the back of the tongue raised

[pharyngeal]

produced using the root of the tongue

[nasal]

produced with the velum lowered

[lateral]

produced by lowering the mid-section of the tongue so that air escapes laterally

[strident]

produced in such a way as to create turbulent noise

[delayed response]

total constriction is released slowly so that a fricative is formed after the release

[high]

produced by raising the body of the tongue toward the roof of the mouth

[low]

produced by lowering the body of the tongue away from the roof of the mouth

[back]

produced by retracting the body of the tongue from its neutral point

([front])

produced by advancing the body of the tongue from its neutral point

[ATR]

produced by drawing the tongue root forward

[voice]

produced with vibration of the vocal folds

[spread glottis]

produced with the vocal folds spread apart

[constricted glottis]

produced with the vocal folds tightly constricted

[long]

produced with greater duration

[stress]

produced with greater intensity, higher pitch, and/or longer duration