CONSONANTS

1. Which of the following words normally end with voiceless (-V) sounds and which end
with voiced (+V) sounds?
+V
(a) bang _____ +V
(d) fizz _____ -V
(g) splat _____
-V
(b) crash _____ -V
(e) rap _____ +V
(h) thud _____
+V
(c) ding _____ ((f) smack _____
-V (i) wham _____
+V

2. Try to pronounce the initial sounds of the following words and identify the place of
articulation of each one (e.g. bilabial, alveolar, etc.)
k: velar
(a) calf _____ h: glottal
(e) hand _____ ʃ: palato-alveolar
(i) shoulder _____
tʃ: palato-alveolar
(b) chin _____ n: alveolar
(f) knee _____ s: alveolar
(j) stomach _____

f: labiodental (g) mouth _____

(c) foot _____ θ: dental
m: bilabial (k) thigh _____

g: velar
(d) groin _____ p: bilabial (l) toe _____
(h) pelvis _____ t: alveolar

3. Identify the manner of articulation of the initial sounds in the following words (stop,
fricative, etc.)

(a) cherry tʃ: affricate (d) funny f:

_____ fricative
_____ m: nasal
(g) merry _____

k: stop
(b) crazy _____ dʒ: affricate (h) silly _____
(e) jolly _____ s: fricative
l: approximant
(c) dizzy _____
d: stop (f) loony _____ w: approximant
(i) wimpy _____

4. Describe the consonants in the word skinflint using the chart below. Fill in all five
columns, and put parentheses around the terms that may be left out, as shown for the first
consonant.

1 2 3 4 5

Voiced or Place of Central or Oral or Articulatory

voiceless articulation lateral nasal action

s voiceless alveolar (central) (oral) fricative

k -V central oral stop

velar

n +V alveolar central nasal nasal

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 f labiodental oral fricative
-V central

l +V alveolar lateral oral lateral

t -V alveolar stop
central oral

5. We can create a definition for each consonant (e.g. /k/) by using the distinction between
voiced and voiceless plus the terms for place (i.e. velar) and manner of articulation (i.e.
fricative). So we say that /k/ is a voiceless velar fricative. Write similar definitions for the
initial sounds in the normal pronunciation of the following words.

fan, lunch, goal, jail, mist, shop, sun, tall, yellow, zoo

Are there any definitions in which the voiced/ voiceless distinction is actually unnecessary
and could be omitted?

6. Figures (a) – (g) illustrates all the places for articulatory gestures that we have discussed
so far, except for retroflex sounds. In the spaces provided below, (1) state the place of
articulation and (2) state the manner of articulation of each sound, and (3) give an example
of an English word beginning with the sound illustrated.

/t, d, l/
/f, v/

/θ, ð/̼ /p, b/

2
 /l/

/k, g/

(1) Place of articulation (2) Manner of articulation (3) Example

7. Complete the diagrams in the following figure so as to illustrate the target for the gesture
of the vocal organs for the first consonants in each of the following words. If the sound is
voiced, schematize the vibrating vocal folds by drawing a wavy line at the glottis. If it is
voiceless, use a straight line.

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8. Circle the words that

a. begin with a bilabial consonant

met net set bet let pet

b. begin with a velar consonant

knot got lot cot hot pot

c. begin with a labiodental consonant

fat cat that mat chat vat

d. begin with an alveolar consonant

zip nip lip sip tip dip

e. begin with a dental consonant

pie guy shy thigh thy lie

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f. end with a fricative

race bush bring bang rave real

ray rose rough wreath breathe

g. end with a nasal

rain rang dumb deaf

h. end with a stop

pill lip lit graph crab dog

hide laugh back

i. begin with a lateral

nut lull bar rob one

j. begin with an approximant

we you one run

k. end with an affricate

much back edge ooze

l. in which the consonant in the middle is voiced

tracking mother robber leisure

massive stomach razor

9. Define the consonant sounds in the middle of each of the following words as indicated in
the example.

Voiced or voiceless Place of articulation Manner of

articulation

adder voiced alveolar stop

father

singing

etching

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 robber

ether

pleasure

hopper

selling

sunny

lodger

10. Find the distribution of the consonants (initial, middle and final)

           

           

11.

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12. Are the first and last sounds in each of the following words voiced or voiceless?

a. though g. pan m. when

b. thought h. boat n. ghetto

c. form i. huge o. pneumatic

d. view j. choose p. winced

e. zoom k. judge

f. silk l. buns

13. For each of the following pairs of sounds, state whether the place of articulation is the
same or different. Then identify the place of articulation for each sound.

  

  

  

  

14. For each of the following pairs of sounds, state whether the manner of articulation is
the same or different. Then identify the manner of articulation for each sound.

 

 
















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