CLASSIFICATION OF CONSONANT SOUNDS

PLACE AND
VOICED /
 UNVOICED
MANNER OF DESCRIPTION SPELLINGS / EXAMPLES
ARTICULATION
PLOSIVES occur when a complete closure is made somewhere in the vocal tract. Air pressure increases behind the closure, and is
then released ‘explosively’

P pen
BILABIAL PP pepper
 UNVOICED
PLOSIVE GH hiccough

B baby
BILABIAL
 VOICED
PLOSIVE
BB bubble

T ten
ALVEOLAR TT bitter
 UNVOICED
PLOSIVE TH Thomas
~ED worked

D doll
ALVEOLAR DD daddy
 VOICED
PLOSIVE ~ED played

K key
C car
CK pick
 UNVOICED VELAR PLOSIVE
CC account
QU mosquito
CH school
G go
GG egg
 VOICED VELAR PLOSIVE GH ghost
GU guilty
 PLACE AND
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MANNER OF DESCRIPTION SPELLINGS / EXAMPLES
ARTICULATION
AFFRICATES occur when a complete closure is made somewhere in the mouth, and the soft palate is raised. Air pressure
increases behind the closure, and is then released slowly, causing friction.

PALATO- CH child
 UNVOICED ALVEOLAR TCH match
AFFRICATE TI question
TU statue

J job
PALATO- G giraffe
 VOICED ALVEOLAR DG edge
AFFRICATE DJ adjective
 PLACE AND
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MANNER OF DESCRIPTION SPELLINGS / EXAMPLES
ARTICULATION
FRICATIVES occur when two vocal organs come close enough together for the movement of air to be hears between
them.

F fun
LABIO-DENTAL FF stuff
 UNVOICED
FRICATIVE PH photo
GH laugh

V van
LABIO-DENTAL F of
 VOICED
FRICATIVE PH nephew

DENTAL
 UNVOICED
FRICATIVE
TH think

DENTAL TH they
 VOICED
FRICATIVE

S say
SS miss
ALVEOLAR C decide
 UNVOICED
FRICATIVE SC scene
X+consonant /ks/ extra

S was
SS dessert
ALVEOLAR Z zoo
 VOICED
FRICATIVE ZZ puzzle
X+vowel /gz/ Exactly
 SH shower
CH machine
SCH schedule
S+U sure
PALATO- SS+U assure
 UNVOICED ALVEOLAR ~TI nation
FRICATIVE ~SI mansion
~SCI conscience
~CI special
~CE ocean

G genre
SI decision
PALATO-
S+U usual
 VOICED ALVEOLAR
Z+U seizure
FRICATIVE
~GE massage

H house
GLOTTAL
 UNVOICED
FRICATIVE
WH who
 PLACE AND
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MANNER OF DESCRIPTION SPELLINGS / EXAMPLES
ARTICULATION
NASAL sounds occur when a complete closure is made somewhere in the mouth, the soft palate is lowered, and air
escapes through the nasal cavity.

M men
MM mummy
 VOICED BILABIAL NASAL MB climb
MN autumn

N not
NN nanny
ALVEOLAR KN know
 VOICED
NASAL GN sign
PN pneumonia

NG thing
VELAR N+ /k/ sink
 VOICED
NASAL N+ /g/..angry
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MANNER OF DESCRIPTION SPELLINGS / EXAMPLES
ARTICULATION
APPROXIMANTS occur when one articulator moves close to another, but not close enough to cause friction or to stop the
airflow.

POST-ALVEOLAR R red
APPROXIMANT RR carry
 VOICED (OR WR write
FRICTIONLESS RH rhythm
CONTINUANT)

LATERAL sounds occur when the air stream flows around the sides of the tongue.

ALVEOLAR
L love
 VOICED LATERAL
LL kill
APPROXIMANT
 PLACE AND
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MANNER OF DESCRIPTION SPELLINGS / EXAMPLES
ARTICULATION
SEMI-VOWELS are made without a restriction to the airflow. But they occur in consonant positions in the syllable.

Y you
I brilliant
U use
PALATAL SEMI
 VOICED
VOWEL
UE argue
EW few
EAU beauty

W want
WH where
BILABIAL SEMI-
 VOICED
VOWEL
U (after q,g,s) Quiet, Penguin,
Suite