How Human Beings Speak: Airstreams and the Larynx

Human Speech Production

  • Egressive Pulmonary Airstream Mechanism

    • Human beings primarily produce speech on an outgoing breath (egressive).

    • This airstream comes from the lungs (pulmonary).

    • Most languages use this mechanism, with few exceptions (e.g., Nordic languages use ingressive sounds).

  • Challenges of Ingressive Airstream

    • Ingressive sounds are harder to control.

    • They produce less clear sounds, particularly hard to understand in emotional states (e.g., sobbing).

Continuous Speech

  • Stream of Sound

    • Human speech is a continuous stream; it is segmented into letters for writing convenience.

    • Sounds represent meaningful differences in language (e.g., changing /m/ to /t/ changes "mill" to "till").

Speech Organs and Functions

  • Larynx

    • Contains the vocal folds (or cords) where sound production begins.

    • Understanding its function is crucial for grasping speech production.

  • Diagram of Larynx

    • Visual representation of dimensions around the Adam's apple.

    • Practice feeling the larynx by touching the front of the throat while speaking.

Voicing in Speech Sounds

  • Voiced vs. Voiceless Sounds

    • Voiced Sounds: Vocal folds are brought together, air passes through, causing vibrations (e.g., /b/, /d/, /g/, /z/).

    • Voiceless Sounds: Vocal folds are apart, air flows freely, producing quieter sounds (e.g., /p/, /t/, /k/, /s/).

    • Glottal Stop: Complete closure of the vocal folds; creates sounds like the absence of a /t/ in "butter".

  • How to Feel Voiced vs. Voiceless

    • To experience the vocal fold vibrations:

      • Say /ssss/ (voiceless) – no vibrations felt.

      • Say /zzzz/ (voiced) – vibrations are felt with fingers on the throat.

      • Alternate between /ssss/ and /zzzz/ to feel the transition.

Practice Sounds

  • Experiment with pairs to identify voiced and voiceless sounds:

    • Voiceless:

      • p (penguin)

      • t (table)

      • k (king)

      • f (fox)

      • s (sheep)

    • Voiced:

      • b (ball)

      • d (dumb)

      • g (girl)

      • v (vixen)

      • z (leisure)

By engaging with these concepts, students can deepen their understanding of how human speech is produced and manipulated, allowing for more effective communication and appreciation of linguistic diversity.