Having preliminarily discussed vowel length and aspiration, let us now consider the sound system of English more

systematically. We would like to understand what information about English pronunciation is incorporated in a
speaker's knowledge of language--a central question of phonetics. First, a related question: What does an English-
speaker do to make English sounds? To put this question schematically, it is well and good to ask about when "p" is
aspirated and when it is not, but we must also know how to make a "p" in the first place.
We can begin this investigation by familiarizing ourselves with the functions of the articulators and important regions in the
vocal tract. By moving parts of the tract, for example the tongue and lips, we can change the shape of the cavity, thereby
altering the acoustic character of speech sounds. Let's examine the process in greater detail.
As you move the mouse over the names of the parts of the vocal tract, a brief explanation appears of the role that each part
plays during the process of phonation.

We begin with the consonant system of English, and in particular, with the stops. Stops involve a constriction of the vocal
tract so extreme that the column of air making its way through the tract is, for an instant, completely stopped. We call the
point at which this closure occurs the place of articulation. The various stop consonants of English involve different points of
articulation. They sound different as a consequence of the changes in the shape of the vocal tract.

The first stop consonant we examine is the "p" sound. A "p" is made by expelling air from the lungs, through the oral cavity,
which is constricted by a closure made by bringing the two lips together. The lips are then moved apart, and the sound is
released. Although all of this happens in a fraction of a second, we can approximate the actual process by slowing it down
and exaggerating some of the articulatory gestures. Because it is the two lips that come together and pull apart to form the
stop release, the "p" is categorized as a bilabial stop consonant.

Simulation of a "p" sound.

(Articulation of vowel not shown.)
By describing the place of articulation (in this case, bilabial) and the manner of articulation (a stop consonant) we have gone
a long way toward determining the features that distinguish "p" from the other sounds of English. There are, other bilabial
stop consonants in English, for example "b."
Although "p" and "b" are quite similar articulatorily, they do not sound alike. Furthermore, by substituting one for the other
in a word, we change the meaning of the word.
Consider the difference between the two words "pan" and "ban"
These two words constitute a "minimal pair", since they differ in just one sound yet have different meanings.