UNIVERSIDAD DE LA SERENA

CAREER: ENGLISH TEACHING TRAINING PROGRAMME

SUBJECT: PRONUNCCIATION I
INSTRUCTOR: CARLOS TAPIA MICHEA
TOPIC: CONSONANT SOUNDS: CLASSIFICATION AND PRACTICE

INTRODUCTION

To identify the articulatory characteristics of the English consonant sounds, we have to

describe the behaviour of the vocal folds and the articulators that take part in producing
them, namely, voicing, place of articulation and manner of articulation-

CLASSIFICATION OF CONSONANT SOUNDS ACCORDING TO VOICING,

PLACE OF ARTICULATION AND MANNER OF ARTICULATION.

From the point of view of voicing, the English consonant sounds can be labelled as voiced
or voiceless (unvoiced).

From the point of view of place of articulation, the English consonants can be classified as
bilabial, labio-dental, lingua interdental, lingua alveolar, lingua postalveolar, lingua
palatal, lingua velar and glottal.

From the point of view of manner of articulation, the English consonants can be classified
as stop-plosive, fricative, affricate, lateral, approximant (glide), nasal and tap.

VOCAL TRACT DIAGRAM

Vocal tract diagram

CLASSIFICATION OF THE ENGLISH CONSONANT SOUNDS ACCORDING TO
POINT OF ARTICULATION AND MANNER OF ARTICULATION

a) Bilabial

In a bilabial consonant, the lower and upper lips approach or touch each other.
English [p], [b], and [m] are bilabial stops. (See diagram A).

The sound [w] involves two constrictions of the vocal tract made simultaneously. One of
them is lip rounding, which you can think of as a bilabial approximant.

Diagram A

b) Labiodental

In a labiodental consonant, the lower lip approaches or touches the upper teeth.
English [f] and [v] are bilabial fricatives. (See diagram B)

.
Diagram B

c) Lingua interdental

In a dental consonant, the tip or blade of the tongue approaches or touches the upper teeth.
English [θ] and [ð] are dental fricatives. (See diagram C)

Diagram C

d) Lingua alveolar

In an alveolar consonant, the tongue tip (or less often the tongue blade) approaches or
touches the alveolar ridge, the ridge immediately behind the upper teeth. The English
stops [t], [d], and [n] are formed by completely blocking the airflow at this place of
articulation. The fricatives [s] and [z] are also at this place of articulation, as is the lateral
approximant [l]. (See diagram D)

Diagram D shows the state of the vocal tract during the articulation of [p] and [t]

e) Lingua postalveolar

In a postalveolar consonant, the constriction is made immediately behind the alveolar ridge.
The constriction can be made with either the tip or the blade of the tongue. The English
fricatives [ʃ] and [ʒ] are made at this point of articulation, as are the corresponding
affricates [tʃ] and [dʒ]. (See diagram E).

Diagram E shows the state of the vocal tract during the first half (the stop half) of an
affricate [tʃ] or [dʒ].

f) Postalveolar Retroflex (approximant)

In a retroflex consonant, the tongue tip is curled backward in the mouth. English [ɹ] is a
retroflex approximant, i.e. the tongue tip is curled up toward the postalveolar region (the
area immediately behind the alveolar ridge). (See diagram F).

Diagram F shows a typical English retroflex [ɹ]

g) Palatal

In a palatal consonant, the body of the tongue approaches the hard palate. English [j] is a
palatal approximant, i.e., the tongue body approaches the hard palate, but closely enough to
create turbulence in the airstream
h) Velar

In a velar consonant, the body (mid part) of the tongue touches the soft palate, or velum.
English [k], [ɡ], and [ŋ] are stops made at this point of articulation. (See diagram h)

Diagram H shows a typical [k] or [ɡ]

i) Glottal

The glottis is the opening between the vocal folds. In an [h], this opening is narrow enough
to create some turbulence in the airstream flowing past the vocal folds. For this reason [h]
is often classified as a glottal fricative.

j) Tap

In the pronunciation of [ɾ] the tip and blade of the tongue make a single contact with the
alveolar ridge.

CLASSIFICATION OF THE ENGLISH CONSONANT SOUNDS ACCORDING TO

VOICING, POINT OF ARTICULATION AND MANNER OF ARTICULATION

1) /p / voiceless bilabial stop-plosive

2) /b / …………………………………………………………………………

3) /t / …………………………………………………………………………

4) /d / ………………………………………………………………………….

5) /k / ………………………………………………………………………….

6) /g / ………………………………………………………………………….

7) /f / ………………………………………………………………………….

8) /v / ………………………………………………………………………….

9) /ө / ………………………………………………………………………….

10) /ð / ………………………………………………………………………….

11) /s / …………………………………………………………………………..

12) /z / ……………………………………………………………………………

13) /ʃ / …………………………………………………………………………...

14) /ʒ / …………………………………………………………………………….

15) /h / ……………………………………………………………………………..
16) /tʃ / ……………………………………………………………………………….

17) /ʤ / ………………………………………………………………………………

18) /m / ………………………………………………………………………………

19) /n / ………………………………………………………………………………

20) /ŋ / ………………………………………………………………………………

21) /l / ………………………………………………………………………………

22) /ɹ / ……………………………………………………………………………….

23) /ɾ / ……………………………………………………………………………….

24) /j / ……………………………………………………………………………….

25) /w / ……………………………………………………………………………….

SOUND-SPELLING RELATIONSHIP

Sound Spelling Examples

1) /p / p paper - place

2) /b / b baby - baboon

3) /t / t - th terrace - Thomas

4) /d / d delicious - ado

5) /k / k - c - ch - q - ck - cq king - correct - ache - request - sick - acquire

6) /g / g girl - ago

7) /f / f - ph - gh fluffy - phoney - laugh

8) /v / v-f vacancy - Avon - of

9) /ө / th thanks - breath

10) /ð / th neither - brother

11) /s / s - c - sc - ss silent - since - science - class

12) /z / z - intervocalic ‘s’ zodiac - crazy - easy - busy

13) /ʃ / sh - s - t - c shake - mission- fiction - partial - pediatrician - ocean

14) /ʒ / s-g measure - collision - beige

15) /h / h hate - homeless

16) /tʃ / ch - t - tch church - furniture - literature- pitch - fetch

17) /ʤ / j - g - dg joke - gypsy - fridge

18) /m / m mimicry - slam

19) /n / n nun - alone
20) /ŋ / n preceded by ‘g’, ‘k’ or c thing - link - uncle

21) /l / l - ll lose – alive - always - smell

22) /ɹ / r - wr right - wrong

23) /ɾ / r throw - over it

24) /j / y year - yield - yeast

25) /w / w away - wealth

ORAL PRACTICE 1

Read the words below paying special attention to the pronunciation of consonant
sounds.

1) repeat - part - pretty - poem - ping - pong - popular - pounds - peel - appear

2) bright - baby - born - bus - barking - birds - about - brother - books - bouncing

3) tea - time - typical - twist - attack - tube - attend - better - utter - tear - turn

4) day - dare - doze - dear - dream - adopt - date - daisy - Devon - do - diamond

5) cause - cup - calm - according - occur - request - close - American - captain

ache - mechanic - Michael - Nick - sick - acquire -

6) eager - gap - August - forget - Greg - Margaret - again - girls - gorilla - good

7) phone - fame - infer - fury - often - fake - phony - philosophy - front - afraid -

8) vote - dove - very - live - vent - vet - over - November - oven - Devon - vine

9) breath - both - thanks - nothing - thin - author - birth - thoughts - myth - think

10) other - there - leather - breathe - mother - either - rather - those - feather

11) science - sink - mess - lots - assess - best - caress - cease - ceiling - Caesar

12) easy - busy - cozy - lousy - moves - crazy - lazy - calls - adds - jazz - zoo

13) ship - shame - fish - shop - share - washes - English - shirts - emotion -

14) casual - occasion - beige - pleasure - collision - garage - confusion - usual -

15) home - adhere - hit - heat - ahead - here - hatred - whose - hair - heart - healing

16) church - pitch - question - watch - choose - cheap - cheerful - Chinese - cheese

17) Jew - joke - juice - German - village - jury - just - generous - orange - January

18) amazing - imitate - Muslim - image - imagine - common - manure - mountain -

19) none - noisy - nuisance - annuity - inner - necklace - notice - nurture - nanny -

20) singing - anger - hungry - uncle - thinking - linking - bang - beginning - bring
21) late - alone - lunatic - location - leather - aloof – lord – lark - lottery - silent -

call - school - fault - dull - small - little - couple - buckle - fail - smell -

22) rate - arrive - tomorrow - rest - Rome - wrong – wrestle - rude - rate - erase –

23) throw - three - threat - for us - more and more - We are aware of that

24) You - York - younger - used - European - yelled - usually - students - yolk -

25) was - west - awake - walk - we - wood - wool - woman - would -

ORAL PRACTICE 2

1. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /p/

a) I purchased a pretty picture of Poland.

b) Peter picked some pickled pepper.
c) Paul loves playing the piano for Pamela.
d) Please, post the video of Pat’s party.
e) Practice your pronunciation carefully.
f) The president set a precedent.
g) Pam apologized for being rude to Pat.

2. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /b/

a) There’s a big bug on the bed.

b) Please, bring us bread and butter and some biscuits.
c) Tell Betty I’ll be back by midnight.
d) Betty Brown was born in Brighton.
e) The dog will bury his bone in the backyard
f) Basil has been bouncing a ball for half an hour.
g) That’s a beautiful view of the bay.

3. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /t/

a) Tina, it’s tea time. Let’s drink some tea with toasts.
b) Take your time for your tasks.
c) Tom, turn off the lights before you go to bed.
d) Tim bought two tickets for tonight’s match.
e) Turn right at Tenth Street.
f) Try not to tell him off this time.
g) There are lots of tourists at the Tower of London this afternoon.

4. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /d/

a) Dolly had a very good idea.

b) We landed in London at dawn on Sunday.
c) Dilma got the diamond for one hundred thousand dollars.
d) Let’s send dad a birthday card on Monday.
e) Do they do that every day?
f) What did Duncan order for dinner?
g) This dessert is delicious

5. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /k/

a) Can Chris and Colin go by car?

b) Karl came back to Connie’s cottage.
c) We can’t get any good coffee in this country.
d) Connie can’t cope with this complicated issue.
e) Katy doesn’t care about coming home late.
f) Cousin Kevin has lost his credit card
g) Katherine thinks Connie can keep this secret.

6. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /g/

a) Greg forgot to get a bigger bag.

b) Don’t kill the goose that lays the golden egg.
c) There was a big bug on the rug.
d) Peggy and Gary are going to take part in the game.
e) There was an agreement between Greece and Great Britain.
f) Greg goes in for golf in his leisure.
g) I guess that little girl loves her grandparents.

7. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /f/

a) Ferdinand favours eating seafood, fruits and vegetables.

b) My friend Phillipa has a garden full of flowers.
c) The fete is due on the first Friday of February.
d) We’ve got to focus on just a few faces.
e) A friend in need is a friend indeed.
f) My nephew is a friendly funny boy.
g) Don’t laugh at that tough guy.

8. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /v/

a) Phillip was invited to see Venice on Friday.

b) Vernon can never go on vacation.
c) Fanny believes Vivien has made a bad investment.
d) That vehicle is suitable for Freddy’s invalid father.
e) Olivia’s house is far from Dover.
f) It’s a very good version of ‘David Copperfield.’
g) It’s a very aggressive virus infection.

9. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /ө/

a) Elizabeth says Miss Heath is healthy and wealthy.

b) Thelma had her thirty-third birthday on Thursday.
c) Brush your teeth with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
d) The oath is “Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
e) Mathew thinks a thousand is too many.
f) A good friend sticks with you through thick and thin.
g) Arthur wouldn’t give this theme a second thought.

10. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /ð/

a) The rhythm of this music is soothing.

b) This clothing is light as a feather.
c) I like this one better than the other one.
d) This weather bothers father.
e) We’d rather get together another day.
f) Neither of them thinks his brother is trustworthy.
g) That leather belt feels smooth.
11. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /s/

a) It’s nice to see you again, Miss Smith.

b) I think students should study in school.
c) Most employees rest on Saturday and Sunday.
d) This sportsman likes to ski and skate.
e) Stacy speaks Spanish and Swedish fluently.
f) Fortunately, Stan stopped smoking
g) Susan saw Sean and Sally sitting at a café.

12. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /z/

a) Their visit to the zoo was a disaster.

b) It’s not easy when you’re busy.
c) Elizabeth says last Wednesday was a lousy day.
d) Thousands of cars and buses make our cities noisy these days.
e) It’s easy to lose one’s way in a maze.
f) Liza gazed into the man’s fierce dark eyes.
g) Bees were buzzing in the flower beds.

13. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /ʃ/

a) Sean chose a shirt from the shelf.

b) Sheila likes mushrooms, shallots and chili.
c) I’m sure she can show you how to overcome your shyness.
d) You should shut the door just to make sure.
e) In shock the Chinese official watched the machine.
f) It’s a shame she was reluctant to share his ideas.
g) All our food is fresh and we serve delicious international specialties.

14. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /ʒ/

a) The invasion was shown on television.

b) It’s a real pleasure to visit Asia.
c) The words garage, camouflage and fuselage are French loanwords.
d) Beige is her favourite colour.
e) Jane always watches television in her leisure.
f) There is a lot of prestige attached to government offices.
g) His idea of love was a mirage.

15. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /h/

a) It was a plane he hijacked, not a helicopter.

b) These houses are quite unhygienic.
c) Most of my holiday I hitch-hiked.
d) The hero was an unhappy prince called Hugo.
e) The children came home tired and hungry.
f) He got a terrible attack of hiccups when he was having lunch at the hotel.
g) We had a whole month’s holiday.

16. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /tʃ/

a) Charles usually goes to church on Tuesday.

b) Which questions did you choose in the exam?
c) The Picture in the kitchen is by a Czech artist.
d) Check the time the children have.
e) The future of nature is uncertain.
e) We usually have high temperatures in March.
f) Choose the chapters you like.
g) A cheese sandwich for me, please.
17. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /ʤ/

a) Put the jelly and the margarine in the fridge.

b) Would you judge people by their religion?
c) I’ve been given a large jar of jam.
d) John says there’s a great shortage of jobs for college graduates.
e) I lost my luggage when I changed trains at the village station.
f) He’s a sergeant major in the German army.
g) Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary
menagerie?

18. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /m/

a) Melanie likes melon, mango and mandarin.

b) Mom enjoys summer and autumn.
c) Maisie is studying medicine in Montreal.
d) We usually go swimming in summer.
e) More and more people are coming to live in Miami.
f) Michael doesn’t really matter meeting their needs.
g) Mabel lives in Plymouth because of the climate.

19. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /n/

a) None of them are nice.

b) It was a sunny afternoon nine months ago.
c) No news is good news.
d) Her niece knows nothing about Nancy.
e) Neil has never tried snails.
f) Nick speaks Chinese and Norwegian.
g) Nestor and Nelly like living in New York.

18. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of / ŋ/

a) Uncle Tom is singing a song.

b) Ingrid is usually hungry in the evening
c) His parents have been working at the bank for such a long time.
d) She was thinking about many things at the same time.
e) They’re learning another language.
e) Shopping, cooking and cleaning take a long time.
f) They’re simply longing to visit England.
g) Uncle James and aunt Alice are walking along the beach.

19. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /l/

a) The lady with the clear blue eyes was lazy.

b) The plane quickly climbed above the clouds.
c) Look at those lovely little yellow flowers.
d) Learning languages can be difficult for some people.
e) People must be careful to settle their legal matters before leaving.
f) Michael sent a note to all the members of the council.
g) In the middle of the battle the temple caught fire.

20. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /r/

a) I’m really sorry, your room isn’t ready.

b) Ron prefers travelling by ferry.
c) Sean doesn’t know if he’s right or wrong.
d) Too much writing makes my wrist ache.
e) Regina likes reading horror stories.
f) Raise your right hand and ring the bell, please.
g) Run round to our place and borrow some raincoats.

21. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /j/

a) Mathew’s a young university student.

b) Our new neighbours are a real nuisance.
c) The piano used to accompany the duet was out of tune.
d) We used to use this kind of fuel.
e) That’s a beautiful view of the bay.
f) Sue had to wait in a queue for an interview.
g) The UK left the European Union last year.

22. Read the following sentences paying special attention to the pronunciation of /w/

a) The weather got worse at the weekend.

b) Where would you like to wait for Wilson?
c) We’ve painted the woodwork white.
d) I won’t say one word about it.
e) They went out west in a covered waggon.
f) What would men do without women?
g) Will you wait for a while, please?

REFERENCES

-Finch, D. & H. Ortiz.1982. A Course of English Phonetics for Spanish Speakers.

-Jones, D. (2006). English Pronouncing Dictionary. Edited by Peter Roach, James Hartman
& Jane Setter. Cambridge University Press.

-Roach, P. (2000). English Phonetics and Phonology. Cambridge University Press.

https://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~krussll/.../describing-consonants.ht