Child Language Acquisition - Types of Phonemes (Consonants)

Place of Articulation

The place in the mouth where the (consonant) phoneme is produced.

Bilabial Phoneme

A phoneme which is produced by using both of the lips. Includes /b/, /p/, and /m/.

Labiodental Phoneme

A phoneme which is produced by using the teeth and the lips at the same time. Includes /f/ and /v/.

Dental Phoneme

A phoneme which is produced by using the teeth. Includes /ð/ and /θ/.

Alveolar Phoneme

A phoneme which is produced by pressing the tongue onto the alveolar ridge. Includes /s/, /z/, /t/, /d/, /n/, /l/ and /ɹ/.

Post-Alveolar Phoneme

A phoneme which is produced by placing the tongue just behind the alveolar ridge. Includes /t͡ʃ/, /ʃ/, /d͡ʒ/ and /ʒ/.

Palatal Phoneme

A phoneme which is produced by placing the tongue on the hard palate in the mouth. Only includes the phoneme /j/.

Velar Phoneme

A phoneme which is produced by placing the tongue on the velum (soft palate). Includes /k/, /g/ and /ŋ/

Glottal Phoneme

A phoneme which is produced using the glottis. Includes /h/ and the glottal stop.

Manner of Articulation

The way in which air is pushed through the vocal tract in order to produce a phoneme.

Plosive Phoneme

A phoneme which is produced by a quick burst of air. Includes /b/, /p/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/ and the glottal stop.

Fricative Phoneme

A phoneme which is produced by letting air flow through the vocal tract. Includes /f/, /v/, /s/, /z/, /θ/, /ð/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/ and /h/.

Affricate Phoneme

A phoneme which is produced by producing a plosive and fricative at the same time. Includes /d͡ʒ/ and t͡ʃ.

Nasal Phoneme

Sounds which are produced through the nasal cavity instead of through the mouth. Includes /m/, /n/ and /ŋ/.

Approximant Phoneme

A phoneme which is produced by bringing articulatores close to each other, but not letting them touch. Includes /ɹ/ and /w/.

Lateral Approximant Phoneme

A phoneme produced by letting air flow through the sides of the tongue. Includes /l/.

Voicing

Whether or not the vocal chords vibrate when a phoneme is produced.

Voiced Phoneme

A phoneme which is produced with vibrating vocal chords. Includes sounds like /b/, /m/, /z/ or /w/.

Voiceless Phoneme

A phoneme which is produced by not vibrating the vocal chords. Includes sounds like /p/, /s/, /h/ and /f/.