English Diction for Singers

[ɑ:ɪ] 

my, high, sigh, light

[e:ɪ]

Hey, day, weigh, laid

[o:ɪ]

Toy, joy

[ɑ:ʊ]

Pow, Allow

[o:ʊ]

Show, dough, only

[ɑ:ɚ]

Car, bar, far

[i:ɚ]

Ear, fear, deer

[e:ɚ]

Air, dare, bear

[o:ɚ]

Door, floor, board

[u:ɚ]

Moor, sure

[ɑ:I ɚ]

Fire, desire

[ɑ:ʊ ɚ]

Power, hour, flower

  •  

    • BILABIAL: Consonants produced through the full or partial closing of the lips

    • LABIO-DENTAL: Consonants produced as a result of contact between the lower lip and the upper teeth

    • LINGUA-DENTAL: Consonants produced as a result of contact between the tip of tongue and the teeth

    • LINGUA-ALVEOLAR (or ALVEOLAR): Consonants produced as a result of contact between the tip of tongue and the alveolar ridge

    • LINGUA-POST-ALVEOLAR (or POST-ALVEOLAR): Consonants produced as a result of contact between the tongue and the area behind the alveolar ridge

    • RETROFLEX: Consonants produced by allowing the tip of the tongue to curve up and to the back slightly.

    • PALATAL: Consonants produced as a result of contact between the middle or back of the tongue and the hard palate

    • VELAR: Consonants produced as a result of contact between the middle or back of the tongue and the velar region, or the soft palate.

    • GLOTTAL: Consonants produced as a result of laryngeal tension

  • AFFRICATIVES: A stop-plosive consonant with a simultaneous fricative consonant

  • COGNATES: Pairs of phonemes that differ only in voice

  • VOICED: description of a consonant that is produced with vocalization of the vocal folds.

  • UNVOICED: description of a consonant that is produced without vocalization of the vocal folds

  • “Dental” consonants: [d, n, t, l]. Although these are technically ALVEOLAR consonants, voice teachers and coaches sometimes refer to these as “dental.” When producing these sounds allow the tip of the tongue to be so far forward that you are touching the back of your front teeth.