Bridge Course: Phonetics

Bilabials

These are sounds formed using both (= bi) upper and lower lips (= labia). The initial sounds in the words pat, bat and mat are all bilabials. They are represented by the symbols [p], which is voiceless, and [b] and [m], which are voiced. We can also describe the [w] sound found at the beginning of way, walk and world as a bilabial.

Labiodentals

These are sounds formed with the upper teeth and the lower lip. The initial sounds of the words fat and vat and the final sounds in the words safe and save are labiodentals. They are represented by the symbols [f], which is voiceless, and [v], which is voiced. Notice that the final sound in the word cough, and the initial sound in photo, despite the spelling differences, are both pronounced as [f].

Dentals

These sounds are formed with the tongue tip behind the upper front teeth. The initial sound of thin and the final sound of bath are both voiceless dentals. The symbol used for this sound is [θ], usually referred to as “theta.” It is the symbol you would use for the first and last sounds in the phrase three teeth.

The voiced dental is represented by the symbol [ð], usually called “eth.” This sound is found in the pronunciation of the initial sound of common words like the, there, then and thus. It is also the middle consonant sound in feather and the final sound of bathe.

The term “interdentals” is sometimes used for these consonants when they are pronounced with the tongue tip between (= inter) the upper and lower teeth.

Alveolars

These are sounds formed with the front part of the tongue on the alveolar ridge, which is the rough, bony ridge immediately behind and above the upper teeth. The initial sounds in top, dip, sit, zoo and nut are all alveolars. The symbols for these sounds are easy to remember – [t], [d], [s], [z], [n]. Of these, [t] and [s] are voiceless whereas [d], [z] and [n] are voiced.

It may be clear that the final sounds of the words bus and buzz have to be [s] and [z] respectively, but what about the final sound of the word raise? The spelling is misleading because the final sound in this word is voiced and so must be represented by [z]. Notice also that despite the different spelling of knot and not, both of these words are pronounced with [n] as the initial sound.

Other alveolars are the [l] sound found at the beginning of words such as lap and lit, and the [r] sound at the beginning of right and write.

Post alveolar

These are sounds formed by blad of the tongue against the teeth ridge,with the front of the tongue raised towards the hard palate. Other Post alveolars are the [tʃ]  [tʃh] [ʃ] [ʒ] [dʒ].

Palatals

If you feel back behind the alveolar ridge, you should find a hard part in the roof of your mouth. This is called the hard palate or just the palate. Sounds produced with the tongue and the palate are called palatals (or alveo-palatals). Examples of palatals are the initial sounds in the words shout and child, which are both voiceless. The “sh” sound is represented as [ʃ] and the “ch” sound is represented as [ʧ]. So, the word shoebrush begins and ends with the voiceless palatal sound [ʃ] and the word church begins and ends with the other voiceless palatal sound [ʧ].

One of the voiced palatals, represented by the symbol [ʒ], is not very common in English, but can be found as the middle consonant sound in words like treasure and pleasure, or the final sound in rouge. The other voiced palatal is [ʤ], which is the initial sound in words like joke and gem. The word judge and the name George both begin and end with the sound [ʤ] despite the obvious differences in spelling.

One other voiced palatal is the [j] sound used at the beginning of words like you and yet.

Velars

Even further back in the roof of the mouth, beyond the hard palate, you will find a soft area, which is called the soft palate, or the velum. Sounds produced with the back of the tongue against the velum are called velars. There is a voiceless velar sound, represented by the symbol [k], which occurs not only in kid and kill, but is also the initial sound in car and cold. Despite the variety in spelling, this [k] sound is both the initial and final sound in the words cook, kick and coke.

The voiced velar sound heard at the beginning of words like go, gun and give is represented by [ɡ]. This is also the final sound in words like bag, mug and, despite the spelling, plague.

The velum can be lowered to allow air to flow through the nasal cavity and thereby produce another voiced velar, represented by the symbol [ŋ], typically referred to as “angma.” In written English, this sound is normally spelled as the two letters “ng.” So, the [ŋ] sound is at the end of sing, sang and, despite the spelling, tongue. It occurs twice in the form ringing. Be careful not to be misled by the spelling of a word like bang – it ends with the [ŋ] sound only. There is no [ɡ] sound in this word.

Glottals

There is one sound that is produced without the active use of the tongue and other parts of the mouth. It is the sound [h] which occurs at the beginning of have and house and, for most speakers, as the first sound in who and whose. This sound is usually described as a voiceless glottal. The “glottis” is the space between the vocal folds in the larynx. When the glottis is open, as in the production of other voiceless sounds, and there is no manipulation of the air passing out of the mouth, the sound produced is that represented by [h].

Manner of articulation

So far, we have concentrated on describing consonant sounds in terms of where they are articulated. We can also describe the same sounds in terms of how they are articulated. Such a description is necessary if we want to be able to differentiate between some sounds which, in the preceding discussion, we have placed in the same category. For example, we can say that [t] and [s] are both voiceless alveolar sounds. How do they differ? They differ in their manner of articulation, that is, in the way they are pronounced. The [t] sound is one of a set of sounds called stops and the [s] sound is one of a set called fricatives.

Stops

Of the sounds we have already mentioned, the set [p], [b], [t], [d], [k], [ɡ] are all produced by some form of “stopping” of the air stream (very briefly) then letting it go abruptly. This type of consonant sound, resulting from a blocking or stopping effect on the air stream, is called a stop (or a “plosive”). A full description of the [t] sound at the beginning of a word like ten is as a voiceless alveolar stop. In some discussions, only the manner of articulation is mentioned, as when it is said that the word bed, for example, begins and ends with voiced stops.

Fricatives

The manner of articulation used in producing the set of sounds [f], [v], [θ], [ð], [s], [z], [ʃ], [ʒ] involves almost blocking the air stream and having the air push through the very narrow opening. As the air is pushed through, a type of friction is produced and the resulting sounds are called fricatives. If you put your open hand in front of your mouth when making these sounds, [f] and [s] in particular, you should be able to feel the stream of air being pushed out. The usual pronunciation of the word fish begins and ends with the voiceless fricatives [f] and [ʃ]. The word those begins and ends with the voiced fricatives [ð] and [z].

The sound [h], as in Hi or Hello, is voiceless and also usually included in the set of fricatives.

Affricates

If you combine a brief stopping of the air stream with an obstructed release which causes some friction, you will be able to produce the sounds [ʧ] and [ʤ]. These are called affricates and occur at the beginning of the words cheap and jeep. In the first of these, there is a voiceless affricate [ʧ], and in the second, a voiced affricate [ʤ].

Nasals

Most sounds are produced orally, with the velum raised, preventing airflow from entering the nasal cavity. However, when the velum is lowered and the air stream is allowed to flow out through the nose to produce [m], [n] and [ŋ], the sounds are described as nasals. These three sounds are all voiced. The words morning, knitting and name begin and end with nasals.

Liquids

The initial sounds in led and red are described as liquids. They are both voiced. The [l] sound is called a lateral liquid and is formed by letting the air stream flow around the sides of the tongue as the tip of the tongue makes contact with the middle of the alveolar ridge. The [r] sound at the beginning of red is formed with the tongue tip raised and curled back near the alveolar ridge.

Glides

The sounds [w] and [j] are described as glides. They are both voiced and occur at the beginning of we, wet, you and yes. These sounds are typically produced with the tongue in motion (or “gliding”) to or from the position of a vowel and are sometimes called semi-vowels.

In some approaches, the liquids [l], [r] and glides [w], [j] are combined in one category called “approximants.”

Glottal stops and flaps

There are two common terms used to describe ways of pronouncing consonants which

are not included in the chart presented earlier. The glottal stop, represented by the symbol [ʔ], occurs when the space between the vocal folds (the glottis) is closed completely (very briefly), then released. Try saying the expression Oh oh!. Between the first Oh and the second oh, we typically produce a glottal stop. Some people do it in the middle of Uh-uh (meaning “no”), and others put one in place of “t” when they pronounce Batman quickly. You can also produce a glottal stop if you try to say the words butter or bottle without pronouncing the “-tt-” part in the middle. This sound is considered to be characteristic of Cockney (London) speech. (Try saying the name Harry Potter as if it didn’t have the “H” or the “tt.”) You will also hear glottal stops in the pronunciation of some Scottish speakers and also New Yorkers.

If, however, you are someone who pronounces the word butter in a way that is close to “budder,” then you are making a flap. It is represented by [D] or sometimes [ɾ]. This sound is produced by the tongue tip tapping the alveolar ridge briefly. Many American English speakers have a tendency to “flap” the [t] and [d] consonants between vowels so that, in casual speech, the pairs latter and ladder do not have distinct middle consonants. Nor do writer and rider, metal and medal. They all have flaps. The student who was told about the importance of Plato in class and wrote it in his notes as play dough was clearly a victim of a misinterpreted flap. This rather lengthy list of the phonetic features of English consonant sounds is not presented as a challenge to your ability to memorize a lot of terminology and symbols.

It is presented as an illustration of how a thorough description of the physical aspects of speech production will allow us to characterize the sounds of spoken English, independently of the vagaries of spelling found in written English. There are, however, some sounds that we have not yet investigated. These are the types of sounds known as vowels and diphthongs.

Vowels

While the consonant sounds are mostly articulated via closure or obstruction in the vocal tract, vowel sounds are produced with a relatively free flow of air. They are all typically voiced. To describe vowel sounds, we consider the way in which the tongue influences the shape through which the airflow must pass. To talk about a place of articulation, we think of the space inside the mouth as having a front versus a back and a high versus a low area. Thus, in the pronunciation of heat and hit, we talk about “high, front” vowels because the sound is made with the front part of the tongue in a raised position.

In contrast, the vowel sound in hat is produced with the tongue in a lower position and the sound in hot can be described as a “low, back” vowel. The next time you’re facing the bathroom mirror, try saying the words heat, hit, hat, hot. For the first two, your mouth will stay fairly closed, but for the last two, your tongue will move lower and cause your mouth to open wider. (The sounds of relaxation and pleasure typically contain lower vowels.)

The terminology for describing vowel sounds in English (e.g. “high front”) is usually based on their position in a chart, like the one shown here (based on Ladefoged, 2006), which provides a means of classifying the most common vowel sounds. Following the chart is a list of the major vowels with examples of familiar words illustrating some of the variation in spelling that is possible for each sound.

Front vowels Central vowels Back vowels

[i] bead, beef, key, me [ə] above, oven, support [u] boo, move, two, you

[ɪ] bid, myth, women [ʌ] butt, blood, dove, tough [ʊ] book, could, put

[ɛ] bed, dead, said [ɔ] born, caught, fall, raw

[æ] bad, laugh, wrap [ɑ] Bob, cot, swan

Diphthongs

In addition to single vowel sounds, we regularly create sounds that consist of a combination of two vowel sounds, known as diphthongs. When we produce diphthongs, our vocal organs move from one vocalic position [a] to another [ɪ] as we produce the sound [aɪ], as in Hi or Bye. The movement in this diphthong is from low towards high front. Alternatively, we can use movement from low towards high back, combining [a] and [ʊ] to produce the sound [aʊ], which is the diphthong repeated in the traditional speech training exercise [haʊ naʊ braʊn kaʊ]. In some descriptions, the movement is interpreted as involving a glide such as [j] or [w], so that the diphthongs we are representing as [aɪ] and [aʊ] may sometimes be seen as [aj] or [aw]. While the vowels [e], [a] and [o] are used as single sounds in other languages, and in some other varieties of English, they are only typically used as the first sounds of diphthongs in American English. The accompanying diagram provides a rough idea of how diphthongs are produced and is followed by a list of the sounds, with examples to illustrate some of the variation in the spelling of these sounds.

Diphthongs

[aɪ] buy, eye, I, my, pie, sigh [oʊ] boat, home, throw, toe

[aʊ] bough, doubt, cow [ɔɪ] boy, noise

[eɪ] bait, eight, great, late, say

based on George Yule  - "The Study of Language"

English phonetics from Javedkhatri4