Sheet Consonants of General American English: Articulation and Phonology

Consonants of General American English: Articulation and Phonology

These notes detail the consonants of General American English, described according to the parameters of Voicing, Organ, Place, and Manner, as summarized from J. Bauman-Waengler (2019).

Stop-Plosives

  • [p] - voiceless bilabial stop-plosive (Example: pay)

  • [b] - voiced bilabial stop-plosive (Example: boy)

  • [t] - voiceless lingual-alveolar stop-plosive (Example: toy)

  • [d] - voiced lingual-alveolar stop-plosive (Example: doll)

  • [k] - voiceless lingual-velar stop-plosive (Example: coat)

  • [g] - voiced lingual-velar stop-plosive (Example: goat)

Fricatives

  • [f] - voiceless labio-dental fricative (Example: far)

  • [v] - voiced labio-dental fricative (Example: vase)

  • [s] - voiceless lingual-alveolar fricative (Example: sun)

  • [z] - voiced lingual-alveolar fricative (Example: zoo)

  • [ʃ] - voiceless lingual-palatal fricative with lip rounding (Example: shop)

  • [ʒ] - voiced lingual-palatal fricative with lip rounding (Example: beige)

  • [θ] - voiceless lingual inter-dental fricative (Example: think)

  • [ð] - voiced lingual inter-dental fricative (Example: those)

Nasals

  • [m] - voiced bilabial nasal (Example: moon)

  • [n] - voiced lingual alveolar nasal (Example: not)

  • [ŋ] - voiced lingual velar nasal (Example: sing)

Glides (or Approximants)

  • [w] - voiced labial-velar glide (or approximant) (Example: win)

  • [j] - voiced lingual-palatal glide (or approximant) (Example: yes)

Lateral

  • [l] - voiced lingual alveolar lateral (Example: leap)

Rhotic

  • [r] - voiced lingual-palatal rhotic (bunched [r]) (Example: red)

Affricates

  • [t͡ʃ] - voiceless lingual-alveolar affricate (Example: chop)

  • [d͡ʒ] - voiced lingual-alveolar affricate (Example: job)

Open Consonant (Aspirate)

  • [h] - voiceless unlocalized open consonant (an aspirate) (Example: hop)

    • on the IPA quiz

  • midterm: know the unrounded or rounded for the constants

  • dipthongs not on IPA but on midterm