Articulatory Phonetics

What is a consonant?

speech sound produced by a constriction of the glottal or supraglottal vocal tract

• interrupting or narrow constriction that may create turbulence

• changing the flow

What is a vowel?

speech sound produced by a relatively free airflow without significant turbulence

• mostly a laminar air flow

• sounds tend to be stronger/louder than consonants

What is the big debate between vowels and consonants? Give example with /y/.

an approximant

‘let you’

• with flap /y/ is treated as vowel

• with let chyou is treated as a consonant

How can we test if something is a consonant or vowel?

Place word with /t/ before and see if there is a flap produced

‘let earth’

‘let you’