Classification of Sounds

Articulation

Vocal tract movements needed for speech sound production. Involves

What are the articulators for English phonemes?

Tongue, teeth, lips (labial muscles), hard palate, alveolar ridge (bumps or rugae), soft palate (velum)

What are the four articulating parts of the tongue?

tip, blade, dorsum, root

Consonants

produced by a partially or completely obstructed airflow in the vocal tract (these can be voiced of unvoiced)

Vowels

produced with minimal constriction (tightness/ how much blocked off) of airflow, relatively open vocal tract (ALL voiced)

What are the three dimensions vowels are categorized by?

tongue position & height (front, central, back, high, mid, low), tongue tension (tense or lax), and lip rounding (rounded or unrounded)

What are the high front vowels?

/i/ and /ɪ/

What are the mid front vowels?

/e/ and /ɛ/

What are the low front vowels?

/æ/

What are the high back vowels?

/u/ and /ʊ̈/

What are the mid back vowels?

/o/ and /ɔ/