Diction terms

• alveolar: articulates with the tip of the tongue touching or near the ridge of bone behind the teeth in the upper 

\d\ \n\ and \t\ are alveolar consonants 

• implosion: a sudden collapse where an object or system breaks inward. 

• cognate: the use of words in different languages that share the same historical root. These words sound similar and have the same meaning. 

for example- the English word “mother” and the German word “mutter,” and the Spanish word “madre”

• voiced consonant: a speech sound produced when the vocal cords in your throat vibrate. 

examples- b, d, g, j, l and so forth 

• diphthong: a vowel unit made up of two pure vowels with the acoustic result of being perceived as a single unit/ occurs when two vowels in the same syllable are blended together to form a single vowel unit 

• monophthong: “pure vowels” where your tongue, jaw, and lips remain in a single, fixed position 

examples- “i” in bit or the “a” in father 

• approximant: a speech sound that is formed by the passage of air between two articulations 

• bilabial: a speech sound articulated using both the upper and lower lips 

examples: p (unvoiced),  b (voiced), and m (bilabial nasal)

• cardinal vowels: a universal set of reference vowel sounds, not ties to any single language 

• fricative: the air flow is partially interrupted, thus producing a noisy sound 

examples- f, v, s, z 

• elision: the omission of an unstressed vowel or syllable in a verse to achieve a uniform metrical pattern 

• assimilation: change of a sound in speech so that it becomes identical with or similar to a neighboring sound 

\z\ to \sh\ in the phrase his shoe

• schwa: an unstressed mid-central vowel sound represented by the symbol /ə/, which plays a key role in reducing the energy of spoken words.

• plosive: the air flow is completely prevented from passing through the mouth or the nose and then is released suddenly 

examples- p, b, k, g

• continuant: a speech sound produced without a complete closure of the vocal tract 

• semi-consonant: a speech sound that sounds like a vowel but functions as a consonant 

examples- y in yes and w in west 

• explosion: the sudden, audible release of trapped air after a complete stop of airflow in the mouth 

examples- p, b, t, d 

• voiceless consonant: produced by pushing air through your mouth without vibrating your vocal cords 

examples- th, s, h, f

• aspirate; a consonant sound that is pronounced with a noticeable, audible puff of breath following its release 

examples- /p/, /t/, or /k/

• soft palate: the flexible, muscular tissue at the back of the roof of the mouth 

• hard palate: the rigid front of the roof of your mouth, it separates the oral from nasal cavities and provides a stable surface 

• liaison: the act of linking words together in speech, building a phonetic bridge to make speaking smoother 

in English- an apple 

• dental: a place of articulation made when your tongue touches or comes very close to your upper teeth

like the Spanish or Italian “t” and “d” 

• open vowel: a sound made with your mouth wide open and your tongue pushed as low as possible, therefore air can escape freely with no friction or blockage 

• glottal stop: when the vocal cords press together to stop air, the air building up for a sudden release

example the “t” sound in words like button or kitten 

• triphthong: a smooth, continuous glide of these vowel sounds within a single syllable 

examples- fire, hour, player