PRACTICAS DISCURSIVAS DE LA COMUNICACIÓN ORAL 1

 Where and how sounds are physically produced

Where the sounds are produced (place of articulation), and how (manner of articulation), helps

them visualise movements which would not normally be visible. This can be done with the aid of a

diagram representing a cross-section of the human head and the parts of our body used to

produce sounds,

In English, /d/ and /t/ are alveolar (pronounced by positioning the tongue just behind the upper

front teeth) and not dental (with the tongue against the upper front teeth), as in other languages

(e.g. Italian). Many students are not aware of this difference and the incorrect articulation of these

two sounds.

Voiced consonant sounds are produced by using your vocal cords. If you touch your throat when

saying these sounds, you can actually feel a vibration. On the other hand, unvoiced consonant

sounds are produced by letting air flow and moving parts of your mouth without using voice. In

English, voiced consonant sounds are /b/, /d/, /dʒ/, /g/, /v/, /ð/, /z/, /ʒ/, /m/, /n/, /ŋ/, /j/, /l/, /r/, /w/,

whereas unvoiced consonant sounds are /p/, /t/, /tʃ/, /k/, /f/, /θ/, /s/, /ʃ/ and /h/.

Many voiced-unvoiced consonant sounds come in pairs. For instance, /p/ and /b/ share the

same place and manner of articulation. The only difference is the presence or absence of voice:

/p/ is unvoiced (no vibration of vocal cords) and /b/ is voiced (vocal cords vibrate).

Being aware of such differences is invaluable when teaching the pronunciation of -ed in the

simple past tense and past participle of regular verbs. If the verb ends in a voiced consonant,

the pronunciation of -ed is /d/, as in cleaned /kli:nd/; if the verb ends in an unvoiced consonant,

the pronunciation of -ed is /t/, as in stopped /stɒpt/.

 Sounds

Sounds may be voiced or voiceless. Voiced occur when the vocals cords in the larynx are

vibrated. If you are producing a voiced sound, you will fell the vibrations touching your vocals

cords, but when you are producing a voiceless sound, you will not.

The set of phonemes consist of two categories: vowel sounds and consonant sounds.

 Vowel sounds

Vowel sounds are all voiced and may be single or a combination, involving a movement from

one vowel sound to another. That combinations are known as diphthongs. And the

description of the combination of three vowels are known triphthongs.

 Consonants sounds:

Consonant sounds may be voiced or voiceless. There are consonants that it is possible to

identify only because of voicing. For example, /f/ voiceless, and /v/ voiced.
The articulation of vowels

Vowels are produced when the airstream is voiced through the vibrations of the vocal cords

in the larynx and then, using the tongue and the lips modify the shape of the mouth.

Using the position of the tongue, we can identify the differences between vowel sounds.

 Close, Mid and Open, represent the

distant between the tongue and the roof
of the mouth.

 Front, Centre and Back, and the vertical

lines, refers to the part of the tongue

 Each phoneme represents the height of

the tongue and the part of the tongue.

CHARACTERISTIC OF VOWELS SOUNDS:

/ɪ/ - close front vowel produces it with neutral lips.

/i:/ - close front vowel produces it with spread lips.

/ʊ/ - close back vowel produces it with rounded close lips.

/æ/ - open front vowel produces it with spread lips.

/ɒ/ - open back vowel produces it with rounded open lips.

/e/ - mid front vowel produces it with spread open lips.

/ʌ/ - mid central vowel produces it with neutral lips.

/ə/ - mid centre vowel produces it with neutral lips

/ɑ:/ open back vowel produces it with rounded open lips.

/ɔ:/ open back vowel produces it with rounded open lips.

/ɜ:/ Mid open vowel produces it with spread lips.

/u:/ close back vowel produces it with rounded lips.

Diphtongs: /eɪ/ /oʊ/ /aʊ/ /ɪə/ /eə/ /ɔɪ/ /aɪ/ /ʊə/

 MANNER OF ARTICULATION
The manner of articulation is how the sound is produced.

PLOSIVE: a complete closure is made somewhere in the vocal tract, and the soft palate is also raised. The
air pressure increases behind the closure and then released explosively.
Voiceless plosives: /p/, /t/, and /k/
Voiced plosives: /b/, /d/, and /g/

AFFRICATIVE: a complete closure is made somewhere in the mouth. The air pressure increases behind the
closure and the released more slowly than in plosives.
Both are voiced: /tʃ/and /dʒ/.

FRICATIVE: when two vocal organs come close enough together for the air movement between them can
be heard.
voiced fricative sounds: /v, ð, z, ʒ/,
voiceless fricative sounds: /f, θ, s, ʃ, h/

NASAL: a closure is made by the lips or by the tongue against the palate, the soft palate is lowered and the
air escapes through the nose.
All are voiced: /m/ /n/ /ŋ/

LATERAL: The tongue blocks the middle of the mouth, put the tongue against the alveolar ridge. So the air
escapes around the sides of the tongue.
Voiceless: /l/

APPROXIMANT: vocal organs come near each other, but no so close as to heard a friction.
All are voiced: /w/ /r/ /j/

Place of articulation

The description of the place where the obstruction in the vocal track takes place.

BILABIAL: It’s produced with the closure of both lips. Voiceless /p/ - Voiced /b/

LABIO-DENTAL: It’s produced using the lower lip and the upper teeth. Voiceless /f/ - Voiced /v/

DENTAL: It’s produced when the tip of the tongue is between the teeth or close to the upper teeth.
Voiceless /θ/ - Voiced /ð/

ALVEOLAR: the tongue is used close to the alveolar ridge. Voiceless: /t/ /s/ /l/ /n/ - Voiced: /d/ /z/

PALATO-ALVEOLAR: the tip of the tongue is just behind the alveolar ridge. Voiced: /ʃ/ /ʒ/ /tʃ/ /dʒ/

PALATAL: the front of the tongue is raised closed to the palate. Voiceless /j/

VELAR: the back of the tongue is used against the soft palate- Voiceless: /ŋ/ /w/ Voiced /k/ /g/

GLOTTAL: the gap between the vocal cords is used to make audible friction. Voiceless /h/
CHARACTERISTICS OF EACH CONSONANT:

/p/ - plosive and bilabial sound.

/b/ - plosive and bilabial sound.

/t/ - plosive and alveolar sound.

/d/- plosive and alveolar sound.

/k/ - plosive and velar sound.

/tʃ/ - affricative and palato-alveolar voiced sound.

/dʒ/ - affricative and palato-alveolar voiced sound.

/v/ - fricative and labio-dental, voiced sound.

/f/ - fricative and labio-dental, voiceless sound.

/θ/ - fricative and dental, voiceless sound.

/ð/ - fricative and dental voiced sound.

/z/ - fricative and alveolar voiced sound.

/s/- fricative and alveolar, voiceless sound.

/ʃ/ - fricative and palate-alveolar, voiceless sound.

/ʒ/ - fricative and palato- alveolar sound.

/h/- fricative and glottal, voiceless sound.

/m/ - nasal and bilabial, voiced sound.

/n/ - nasal and alveolar, voiced sound.

/ŋ/ nasal and velar, voiced sound.

/l/ lateral and alveolar, voiceless sound.

/w/ approximant and bilabial, voiced sound.

/r/ approximant and palate-alveolar, voiced sound.

/j/ approximant and palatal, voiced sound.