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Consonants: Place, Manner, Voicing

Presentation · November 2021

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.18859.57120

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Sara Alaa Jasim Zahid

Al-Mansour University College
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English Phonetics and Phonology: A Practical Course

Peter Roach, 14th Edition

Second-year Classes

Asst. Lec. Sara Alaa

English Consonant Sounds

English consonant sounds are classified based on three criteria:
 Place of articulation, (where)
 Manner of articulation, (how)
 Voicing (vibration + –)
Place of articulation: articulators involved in the production (pronouncing) of sounds.
 Bilabial:
/p, b, m, w/ are bilabial sounds because the two lips are compressed together to
produce these sounds.
 Labiodental:
/f, v/ are labiodental sounds because the lower lip and the upper teeth are involved in
the production process.
 Dental:
/θ, ð/ are dental sounds because the front teeth are in contact with the tongue.
 Alveolar:
/t, d, s, z, n, l/ are alveolar sounds because the tongue is in contact with the alveolar
ridge.
 Post-alveolar:
/ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ, r/ are post-alveolar because the tongue is in contact with almost the area
near the alveolar ridge.
 Palatal:
/j/ is a palatal sound because when it is pronounced the tongue is in touch with the hard
palate.
 Velar:
/k, g, ŋ/ are velar sounds because the tongue is in contact with the soft palate (velum).
 Glottal: /h/
The friction noise happens between the vocal folds, moving from wide apart to close
together.
 Manner of articulation: the process of sounds production; how does the air escapes the
mouth?
 Plosive /p, b, t, d, k, g/
The air stops in the mouth causing a complete closure, and then released with force
causing a slight plosion (explosion).
 Fricative /f, v, θ, ð, ʃ, ʒ, s, z, h/
The air reaches the mouth, the articulators narrowing the air passage and let the air
escapes gradually with frication, causing a ‘hissing-like’ sound.
 Affricate / tʃ, dʒ/
Affricate sounds are rather complex, because they begin as plosive (the air stops in the
mouth), and end as fricative (the air leaves gradually with friction).
 Nansal /m, n, ŋ/
These sounds are produced when the soft palate (velum) is lowered and allows the air
to escape through the (nose) nansal cavity.
 Lateral Approximant /l/
The air leaves the mouth through the sides of the mouth because the center of the
tongue is in complete contact with the roof of the mouth (alveolar ridge).
 Approximant /r, w, j/
The articulators approach each other but not in close, direct contact, the approach is
incomplete (approximant approach).
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Q. How do consonant sounds differ from vowel sounds?

Consonant sounds are produced with obstruction to air flow, while vowel sounds are
produced with no obstruction to air flow.

Q. What are the differences between voiced and voiceless sounds?

Voiced sounds are pronounced with vibration in the vocal folds and they are weak
(lenis), voiceless sounds are pronounced with no vibration in the vocal folds and they
are strong (fortis).

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