Place of

Articulation
ENGLISH CONSONANTS
Place of articulation refers to where the obstruction is
made to the airflow when the sound is produced. Some
consonants in English have a secondary articulation.

BILABIAL

These consonants are produced by articulating the upper

and lower lip, which are in complete contact.

LABIO-DENTAL DENTAL

The lower lip is curled They are produced with

back and raised to slightly the tip of the tongue softly
touch the upper teeth. touching the upper teeth.

ALVEOLAR

To produce these consonants, the tip of the tongue makes

contact with the alveolar ridge.

POST-ALVEOLAR

These sounds are articulated with the tongue near or

touching the back of the alveolar ridge. The production of
the two affricates involves the tip of the tongue touching the
alveolar ridge, but then separating progressively.

Voiceless Voiced
 Place of
Articulation
ENGLISH CONSONANTS

PALATAL RETROFLEX

To produce this sound, The tip of the tongue is

which is in fact a curled upward and
semivowel, the tongue backward, approximating
articulates against the but not touching the
hard palate. alveolar ridge.

LABIO-VELAR GLOTTAL

This sound is really a This sound is produced in

semivowel, and it has a
double articulation
consisting of rounding the
lips while the back of the
tongue is raised towards
the velum or soft palate.
the glottis, where the
vocal cords make close
contact and friction. In
fact, it is produced as a
voiceless vowel though it
behaves as a consonant.

VELAR

These consonants are produced by raising the back part of

the tongue against the velum or soft palate.

ACTIVE ARTICULATORS

LOWER LIP
TONGUE

PASSIVE ARTICULATORS

UPPER LIP
UPPER TEETH
ALVEOLAR RIDGE
HARD PALATE
SOFT PALATE OR VELUM
UVULA
PHARYNGEAL WALL

Voiceless Voiced