Nasal sounds

The nasals are produced with the simultaneous lowering of the soft palate which lets the air to pass
through the nose and a complete blocking of air at some point in the vocal tract which prevents the
air from escaping through the oral passage.
There are three nasal consonants in English. They are /m/, /n/, and /ῃ/. These sounds are
bilabial, alveolar and velar nasals respectively. All the three nasals are voiced sounds.
Nasals distribute themselves in the following manner.
No. Sound Initial Medial Final
1 m Maid Summer Programme
2 n Name Winner Nun
3 ῃ ------ Finger Sing
Sometimes, /m/ and /n/ become syllabic forming the nucleus of a final syllable.
e.g. Garden, communism
/m/
During the articulation of /m/, the two lips, which are in firm contact with each other, block
the oral passage of air. The soft palate is lowered so that the lung air escapes freely through the nose.
The vocal cords vibrate and voice is produced. Thus /m/ is a voiced bilabial nasal consonant.
Words for practice:
Some comfort information
Perform major magician
Hemorrhage complaint blossom
/n/
During the articulation of /n/, the tip of the tongue is raised to touch the teeth ridge and thus the oral
passage of air is closed. The soft palate is lowered and the compressed air escapes through the nose.
The vocal vibrate producing voice. Thus /n/ is a voiced alveolar nasal consonant.

Words for practice:

Region reason nine
contemplative contention nationality nature
nominee
/ῃ/
During the articulation of /ῃ/, the back of the tongue is raised to touch the fore part of the soft palate
and thus the oral passage of air is closed. The soft palate is lowered and the compressed air escapes
through the nasal passage. The vocal cords vibrate producing voice. Thus /ῃ/ is a voiced velar nasal
consonant.

Words for practice:

Hanging tongue anchor
Strongest young congregation
handkerchief
Write a note on the English Lateral Consonants
A lateral consonant is formed by placing an obstacle in the centre of the air-channel, but
leaving a free passage for the air on one or both sides of the obstacle. The lateral consonants in English
are represented by the letter ‘l’. There are many allophonic variants of this sound. However, it is
sufficient to distinguish two for practical purposes – the clear /l/ and the dark /l/. This is a voiced sound
and it occurs in all the three positions. (lamb, yellow, bell)
/l/
During the articulation of this sound, the soft palate is raised and the nasal passage of air is
closed. The tip or blade of the tongue makes a firm contact with the alveolar ridge thereby blocking
the oral passage of air in the centre of the vocal tract. The sides of the tongue are lowered and the air
escapes along the sides of the tongue without any friction. The vocal cords are made to vibrate so that
voice is produced. The formation of this sound may be expressed shortly by defining it as a voiced
alveolar lateral consonant.
In common usage, there are two types of lateral consonants. They are: clear /l/ and dark /l/.
Clear /l/ and dark /l/ occur in definite contexts.
When /l occurs in word initial, medial and before /j/, it is called clear /l/.
Initial Medial Before /j/
Lab Philosophy million
Dark /l/ occurs finally and before consonants
Final Before Consonants
Fill filled
Curl curled

Words for Practice:

Lake along field jelly
Employ middle pulpit struggle
Little candle angle beautiful