How much do you know?How are sounds produced?Which are some of the organs involved to

produce speech?Why is it important to know how sounds are

articulated?How are sounds classified?

Speech results from a complex interaction between several systems in the body.

The brain, the sense of hearing, the lungs, larynx, vocal tract, and tongue all work together to produce the sounds of the English language.

Why is important to know how sounds are articulated?Understanding the process and anatomy of speech can assist teachers in teaching ELL learners.

Sounds can be voiced or voiceless.

Voiced sounds require vibration of the muscles in the larynx that form the vocal bands.

The space between these bands is called the “glottis.”

Vowels and VoicingVibratory cycles are

necessary for the vowels and voiced consonants.

When the glottis is partially closed, it will produce sounds such as /h/.

All the vowels are voiced except for voiceless vowels in whispered speech.

(Edwards, 2003)

Place of ArticulationA place of articulation

is a point of contact for producing a speech sound. It is the vocal configuration necessary for the production of sounds.

There are many places of articulation as indicated on the left.

(Voice Foundation, 2006)

Description of Places of Articulation1,2: Labial Sounds are

produced here.3: Inderdental4: Dental sounds5,6: Alveolar sounds7, 8: Palatal sounds, Velar

sounds9: Uvular sounds10: Pharyngeal sounds11-14: Glottal sounds15: Interdental sounds16-18: Labiodental sounds

(Edwards, 2003)Graphic: Voice Foundation, 2006)

Articulation and Sound ProductionWith articulation, vowels typically have nine

basic positions determined by the placement of the tongue.

Consonants are organized much the same way, using the lips more than the vowels do.(Edwards, 2003)

LABIAL sounds: Produced by one or both lips. They break down into bilabial (both lips) sounds and labiodentals (lower lip touches upper teeth).

Labial sounds can be produced by one or both lips.Labial sounds are /p/, /b/, /f/, /v/, /m/, and /w/.When both lips are used it is called a bilabial sound.Examples of bilabial sounds are the /p/ and /b/ sounds.Examples of bilabial words are ‘mama’ and ‘papa’ When the lower lip hits the upper teeth, the sound is a

labiodental sound. For example, the sound /v/. (Edwards, 2003)

Place of ArticulationDENTAL sounds: When the tongue contacts

the teeth, for example: /ð/ and /θ/ ALVEOLARS: These sounds occur when the

tongue contacts the upper area behind the teeth. Examples include: /r/,/t/,and /l/.

(Edwards, 2003)

Place of ArticulationPALATALS: For these sounds, the tongue

must touch some part of the roof of the mouth. These sounds are also broken down into various groups depending upon the placement of the tongue on the palate. Some examples of this sound are: /ʧ/, /ʃ/, /ʤ/.

VELLARS: These sounds are produced when the tongue touches the soft palate (/k/,/g/).

(Edwards, 2003)

Place of ArticulationAnd, last, but not least…

GLOTTALS: The only sound of this kind in American English is the /h/ sound made by narrowing the glottis by partially opening the vocal folds to produce some friction.

(Edwards, 2003)

Manner of Articulation and the Tongue

The tongue plays an important role in the manner of articulation and production of speech sounds.

The type of sound and articulation is determined by the placement and contact of the tongue in the mouth.(Voice Foundation, 2006)

Nasals, Stridents, and StopsNasal sounds are produced when

sonorant sounds are made as the passageway into the nasal cavity is opened by the lowering of the soft palate. Examples would be /m/ and /n/.

Stops are obstruent sounds made by the complete stoppage of airflow through the vocal tract. Examples would be /b/, /t/, and /g/.(Edwards, 2003)

Fricatives and AffricativesFricatives are obstruent sounds

produced from a partial blockage of the breath stream. This partial blockage results in friction or turbulence during the sound production. Examples of fricative sounds are: /h/, /s/, and /z/.

Affricatives are sounds that begin as a stop, then are released as a fricative. When this happens, the sound released is termed an affricative. (Edwards, 2003)

Laterals and LiquidsLATERALS: In

American English, there exists a sole lateral consonant produced with lateral airflow around one or both sides of the tongue.

The /l/ is also characterized as a lateral approximant.(Edwards, 2003)

GlidesWhen a consonant is rapidly transitioned to a

following vowel, the sound is a glide. When the sound is produced from a transition between a consonant and a preceding vowel, it is termed an ‘off glide.’

The common glides for American English are: /l/ and /r/.(Edwards, 2003)

The English Consonants

Sound Word Sound Word Sound Word

p pet b bet m met

t ten d den n no

k cat g get ŋ sing

f for v very l late

s sorry z zoo r roll

θ thigh ð that j yes

ʃ shoe ʒ rouge w wit

ʧ chirp ʤ judge h he

Stops vl vd

pb

td

kg

ʔ

Fricatives vl vd

fv

θð

sz

ʃʒ

h

Affricates vl vd

ʧʤ

Nasals m n ŋ

Laterals l

Glides r y w

Bilabial Labiodental Interdental Alveolar Alveopalatal Velar

Across Top = Points of Articulation Down Side = Manners of Articulationvl = Voiceless vd = Voiced

Glottal

CONSONANTS

pen, copy, happen back , baby, job

Voiceless Voiced

tea, tight, button

day, ladder, add

key, clock, school

thing, author, path

fat, coffee, rough, photo

soon, cease, sister

get, giggle, ghost

ship, sure, national

view, heavy, move

this, other, smooth

church, match, nature

zero, music, buzz

pleasure, vision

judge, age, soldier

more, hammer, sum

CONSONANTS Nasals Lateral

light, valley, feel

right, wrong, sorry

Glottal Glides

wet, one, when, queen

yet, use, beauty, few

nice, know, funny, sun

ring, anger, thanks, sung

hot, whole, ahead

Retroflex

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

A peck of pickled peppersPeter Piper picked.

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,

Where is the peck of pickled peppersPeter Piper picked?

A pickled pepper picked a peckOf Peter Pipers.

A peck of Peter PipersA pickled pepper picked.

If a pickled pepper picked a peck of Peter Pipers,

Where is the peck of Peter PipersA pickled pepper picked?