Chapter 5

The sounds of language

Phonetics: It is a linguistic science that studies production, transmission
and perception of human speech sounds in general. It is concerned with
the definition, description and classification of these sounds.
Types of phonetics:
1. Articulatory phonetics: It is the study of the way speech sounds
are produced or articulated by the vocal organs.
2. Acoustic phonetics studies the physical properties of speech
sound as transmitted between mouth and ear.
3. Auditory phonetics studies the perceptual response to speech
sounds via the ear.

According to the degree of obstruction, we can classify sounds into 1)

consonants "obstruction" 2) vowels "no obstruction".
We can classify consonants according to 1) place of articulation 2)
manner of articulation 3) voicing.
We can classify vowels according to 1) tongue height 2) tongue position
3) lip rounding 4) length.
Place of articulation: The place in the vocal tract where the air steam is
stopped.
1. Bilabials: these sounds are produced by bringing lips together.
(p,b,m)
2. Labiodentals: these sounds are formed by putting the upper teeth
on the lower lip. (f,v)
3. Dentals: they are formed with the tongue tip between the upper
and the lower teeth.
4. Alveolars: these sounds are formed with the tip of the tongue on
the alveolar ridge. (t,d,s,z,n,l,r)
5. Alveopalatals: they are produced with the tip of the tongue
against the borderline between the hard palate and the alveolar
ridge.
 6. Palatal: this sound is produced by bringing the front of the tongue
close to the hard palate.
7. Velars: they are produced with the back of the tongue against the
velum "soft palate".
8. Glottals: They are produced in the glottis, the space between the
vocal cords, without the active use of the tongue and the other
parts of the mouth. (h)

Manner of articulation: the way in which the air stream flows out of the
vocal tract.
1. Stops: they are produced by some form of complete stopping of
the air stream and then letting it go abruptly. They are called
"Plosives". (p,b,t,d,k,g,m,n)
2. Fricatives: they involve narrowing the air passage and having the
air pass through the narrow opening.

3. Affricates: these sounds share features with stops and fricatives.

4. Nasals: these sounds are formed when the velum is lowered and
the air stream is allowed to flow out through the nose.
5. Liquids: sounds which are produced with the air stream flow
around the sides of the tongue as it makes contact with the
alveolar ridge. (l,r,h)
6. Glides: they are called semi-vowels because they are produced
with the tongue moving or gliding from the position of a near by
vowel. They are phonetically vowel but phonologically
consonants.

Voicing:
1. When the vocal cords are spread apart, the air from the lungs
passes between them unimpeded. Sounds produced in this way
are described as voiceless.
 2. When the vocal cords are drawn together, the air from the lungs
repeatedly pushes them apart as it passes through, creating a
vibration. Sounds produced in this way are described as voiced.
NOTE: Examples are required out of the book.
Note: Vowels are produced with a relatively free flow of air. They are all
voiced.