Fonetika a fonologia 11_11_2010

FFAJ 11_11.2010

The english consonants

consonants are easier to learn than vowels because we can feel what our tongue and lips are
doing.in phonetic transription they are also more represented by conventional spelling than
vwels.Consonants are those sounds(accompanied or unaccopanied by voice) in which there is either
a complete or a partial obstruction placed o the air stream.

The English consonants may be classified:

1.according to the participation of voice into:voiced anvoiceless.

2.according to he place of articulation into:

A.bilabial-articulated by two lips:{p,b,m,v}

B.labiodentals-articulated by the lower lip against the upper teeth:{f}

C.dentals-articulated by the tip of the tongue against the upper teeth:{Ѳ,ð}

D.alveolar –articulated by the tip or the blade of the tongue against the teeth ridge:{t,d,n,l,s,z,r}

E.palato-alveolar –articulated by the tongue behind the teeth ridge with raising the body of the
tongue towards the palate:

F.palatal –articulated by the front of the tongue against the hard palate –j

G.velar –articulated by the back of the tongue against the soft palate-k,g,l,w

H.glottal or laryngeal-articulated in the glottis-h

3.according to the manner of articulation into:A.plosives-formed by complete closure of the air
passage at some point in the mouth(by the lips,or the tongue tip,or the tongue back) then
compressing the air in the lungs and sudden opening of the passage co that the air escapes with an
explosive sound.The articulationof plosive consonants consists of three phrases:

-implosion(closure phase) during which the articulating organs from the blockage,

-retention(hold phase)during which the lung action compresses the air behind the closure

-explosion(release phase) during which the organs forming the obstruction part rapidly allowing the
compressed air to escapewith an audible explosive sound called plosion.

Tere are three pairs of english plosive consonants-pb,t-d,k-g

The significant phonetic feature of english plosive-p,t,k is aspiration

All plosive consonants in english stanmding in the initial position(part,boat,kick) produce plosion-
audible escape of air

Vocieless plosives –p,t,k produce stronger plosion(release) than voiced plosives-b,d,g

Voiceless plosives in strssed position followed by a vowel or diphtong are accompanied by
aspiration.Aspiration is an additional puff of air(audible release of breath) accompanying a sound
articulation.It is symbolized by a small raised{hore male h}or{´} which follows the main symbol(p,t,k}
–hore index male h or {p´,t´,k´}.

Voiceless plosives preceded by s in a stress position(stone,spy,sky)ose their aspiration.Voiced
plosives{b,d,g}are never aspirated.The initial voiced plosives are often pronounced with very little
voicing co the main factor distinguishing them from voiceless plosives{p,t,k }is aspiration.The process
of plosion in english plosives can be realized in many different ways,whether the plosion occurs
initially,mediall or finall.It largely depends on the following sounds.

B.affricates-formed as plosives,but with slower separation of the articulating organs so that a
fricative sound is heard during the process of separation(

C.nasals –the basic characteristic of a nasal consonant is that the air escapes through the nose.For
this happen the soft palate must be lowered allowing an escape of the air into the nasal cavity which
gives the sound the special nasal resonance.There are three nasal phonemes in english-m,n,ŋ

D.lateral it is articulated by means of a partial cvlosure on one or both sides of which the air-strem
escapes throughtthe mouth.A lateral consonant(l)is one in which the passage of air through the
mouth does not go in the usual way along the centre of the tongue.

E.fricatives-are formed by a narrowing of the air passage at some place so that th escaping air
produces an audible friction,This friction may be accompanied or unaccompanied by voice.There are
ten fricatives in english-f,v,s,z,r,h

F.semi-vowels-voiced gliding sound in which the speech organs start producing a weakly articulated
vowel and move away to another sound of equal or greater prominence.

There are two semi-vowels in english:(w,j).The sound of(w)does not exist in the slovak language,so
our learners shouls pay attention to the initial lip-rounding in the production of this semi-consonant
and should avoid replacing it by slovak labiodental(v).

English consonants(v) and w are two independent phonemes with their distinctive function:vine-
wine,veal-wheel,veil-whale.Semi-vowel(j)is glide away from a front half-close(i)in the direction of
hard palate.The lips are spread the tongue is raised high in the hard palate,vocal cords
vibrate:poison,avoid,onion...

4.according to the tension of articulation consonants are divided into:fortes(strong)-p,t,k and
lenes(weak)-b,d,g.

Vocie,place,manner and tension ate mostly indicated when we want to characterize the individual
english consonants.