Points of Articulation/Place of Manner for English Consonants

Bilabial

Sound made using both lips. Example: /p/, /b/, /m/, /w/

Labiodental

Sound made using the lower lip and upper teeth. Example: /f/, /v/

Dental

Sound made with the tongue against the teeth. Example: /θ/ (think), /ð/ (this)

Alveolar

Sound made when the tongue touches the alveolar ridge (just behind upper teeth). Example: /t/, /d/, /s/, /n/, /z/, /l/, /r/

Palatoalveolar

Sound made just behind the alveolar ridge, with the blade of the tongue and hard palate. Example: /ʃ/ (sh), /ʒ/ (zh, measure), /tʃ/ (ch), /dʒ/ (j)

Palatal

Sound made with the body of the tongue against the hard palate. Example: /j/

Velar

Sound made with the back of the tongue against the soft palate. Example: /k/, /g/, /ŋ/

Glottal

Sound made using the vocal folds (glottis). Example: /h/,

voiced

vocal cords vibrate

voiceless

no vibration in vocal cords

Stop

Complete block of airflow followed by a release. Example: /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/

Fricative

Air is forced through a narrow gap, causing friction. Example: /f/, /v/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /h/, /θ/, /ð/.

Affiricate

Begins as a stop, and slowly releases to end up as a fricative. Example: /tʃ/ (ch), /dʒ/ (j)

Nasal

Air flows through the nose while the mouth is blocked. Example: /m/, /n/, /ŋ/

Lateral

Air flows around the sides of the tongue. Example: /l/

Approximant

Tongue is near a place of articulation, but no friction. Example: /w/, /j/, /ɹ/

describing consonants

1. voicing

2. place of articulation

3. manner of articulation

describing vowels

1. height of the tongue

2. backness

3. roundness of mouth

heights for the tongue when describing vowels

high, mid, low

backness of the tongue when describing vowels

front, central, back

roundness of the mouth when describing vowels

unrounded or rounded

Tense vs Lax

vowels that have similar sounds such as /i/ (beet) and /ɪ/ (bit) are both high, front, unrounded sounds. However, tense vowels are produced with greater tension and a longer duration, while lax vowels are produced with less tension and a shorter duration. therefore /i/ (beet) would be a tense, high, front, unrounded vowel, and the other one would be lax, this helps to determine which sound we are referring too as they have the same other properties. whereas /ɜ/ (bet) is the only vowel sound that is front, mid, unrounded so we don’t have to use lax/tense to determine which one we are referring to.

schwa

• does not correspond to a letter in the alphabet

• first vowel in the words like above or together

• it is so common that it has its own name

• Symbol: /ə/

• Sound: A soft, weak “uh”

• Mouth Position: Relaxed jaw and tongue, neutral lips

• Stress: Always unstressed

• Vowel Type: Mid-central, unrounded, lax

• Common In: Unstressed syllables

diphthong

A vowel sound made by gliding from one vowel to another in the same syllable. eg /aɪ/- eye (my, kite)