PHONETICS

ARTICULATORY PHONETICS

The reason that I have chosen that to walk you through is that I believe, out of all 3
areas of phonetics, it is the most relevant, hence useful skill for an English teacher to
employ in the classroom. Do not get me wrong! The other two are very interesting
too and I would strongly recommend that you do your homework and read up on
them, however, you will probably not find a very practical use for them in a
classroom of 15-18 students. Great. We should probably get a move on! What about
Articulatory Phonetics?
This area of phonetics concerns itself with how we use our mouth organs and vocal
cords to make sounds? Let me be a little more specific. Articulatory phonetics
essentially deals with two sound categories: Consonants & Vowels. In order to
understand English consonants more, you have to familiarize yourself with 3
areas: 1-The place of articulation, 2-the manner of articulation and 3-Voicing.
As I have already explained and listed the voiced and voiceless consonants, I will
only go through the first two areas. First things first, what are they?

1. Place Of Articulation:Identifying the place, location, spot and mouth organs

involved in the triggering and production of speech sounds.
2. Manner Of Articulation:Describing the manner in which these mouth organs trigger
or produce speech sounds.

PLACE OF ARTICULATION

Place Meaning?
Bilabial Articulated by the lower lip and upper lip
Labio-dental Articulated by the lip and teeth
Lingua-dental Articulated by the tongue and teeth
Lingua-alveolar Articulated by the tongue and gum ridge
Lingual palatal Articulated by the tongue and hard palate
Lingua-velar Articulated by the tongue and soft palate (velum)
Glottal Articulated by the glottis

MOUTH CHART
 MANNER OF ARTICULATION

Manner Meaning?

A: Stop We (start or finishing point) stop the air completely.

B: Fricative We let the air leak from a narrow passage.

C: Affricate We block the air (starting or finishing point) and then abruptly release it.
D: Nasal We push air out from our nose.
E: Liquid We position the tongue in a manner that obstructs the airflow but without causing a fri
(approximant) term fricative) resulting in a consonant with a vowel-like quality.
F: Glide
We begin a sound from a vowel position and end it in a consonant's.
(approximant)