ARTICULATORY CLASSIFICATION OF ENGLISH SPEECH

SOUNDS
The field of articulatory phonetics is a subfield of phonetics that
studies articulation and ways that humans produce speech.
In all languages Speech sounds are traditionally divided into two main types
– vowels and consonants.
Type of obstruction and manner of noise production (manner of articulation
– способ образования)
According to the manner of articulation consonants are divided into three
groups:
a) occlusive, in the production of which a complete obstruction is
formed. Occlusive noise consonants are called stops because the breath is com-
pletely stopped at some point of articulation.
1. Occlusive voiced consonants are: ,  ,   .
2. Occlusive voiceless consonants are:  ,  ,   
b) constrictive, in the production of which an incomplete obstruction is
formed. Constrictive consonants are those in the production of which the air stream
meets an incomplete obstruction.
1. The English voiced fricatives:  ,  ,  , 
2. The English voiceless fricatives:  ,  ,  ,  ,   ;
In the degree of noise consonants: noise consonants and sonorants. In the
production of noise consonants there is a noise component characteristic. Noise
consonant sounds vary:
1. in the work of the vocal cords;
2. in the degree of force of articulation.
According to the work of the vocal cords they may be voiceless are: [p]‚ [t]‚
[k]‚ [f]‚ [s]‚ [∫]‚ [Ө]‚ [ʧ]‚ [h]. and are: [b]‚ [d]‚ [g]‚ [v]‚ [z]‚ [ʒ]‚ [ð]‚ [ʤ] voiced .
Sonorants (or sonorous consonants) are made with tone prevailing over
noise because of a rather wide air passage. They are: [m]‚ [n]‚ [ŋ]‚ [l]‚ [r]‚ [w]‚ [j].
The place of articulation (artriculators) is determined by the active organ of
speech against the point of articulation.
According to this principle the English consonants are classed into:
1. Labial consonants are made by the lips. They may be bilabial and
labio-dental. Bilabial consonants are produced when both lips are active. They are:
the English [p]‚ [b]‚ [m], [v]
2. Lingual consonants are forelingual, mediolingual and backlingual.
Forelingual consonants are articulated with the tip of the tongue (apical
articulation). Mediolingual consonants are produced with the front and the central
part of the tongue raised towards the hard palate. Backlingual consonants are
produced with the back part of the tongue raised towards the soft palate (velar
articulation).
3. The glottal consonant [h] is articulated in the glottis.
 Place of articulation (points of articulation)
1. Velar the back of the tongue is used against the soft palate: /k/  “kite”
and “back“, /ŋ/ as in “going” and “uncle”.
2. Palatal the front of the tongue is raised close to the palate. /j/ as in
“yes” and “bayou”.
3. Palato-alveolar the blade ( or tip) of the tongue is used just behind
the alveolar ridge, e.g. / ʧ/-/ʤ/
4. Alveolar the blade of the tongue is used close to the alveolar ridge,
e.g. /t/- /s/.
5. Dental the tongue tip is used either between the teeth or close to the
upper teeth, e.g. / θ / ð/. /θ/ as is “thick” and “bath“, /ð/ as in “the” and “rather”
6. Labio-dental Using the lower lip and the upper teeth, e.g. /f/- /v/
7. Bilabial using closing movement of both lips, e.g. /p/ - /b/
Vowels are normally made with the air stream that meets no obstruction in
the mouth, pharyngeal and nasal cavities.
The stability of articulation.
Monopthongs. There are pure vowels the articulation is almost unchanging:
[ɪ, e, ӕ, a :, ɒ, ɔ :, ʊ, ʌ, ɜ :, ə]
Diphthongs. The complex sounds consisting of two elements (nucleus and
glide)
narrow [eɪ, əʊ, ɪə, eə, ʊə]
wide [aɪ, aʊ, ɔɪ]
Diphthongoids. Vowel sounds having slightly changing articulation: [i: u:].

Vowels according to the horizontal movements of the tongue

Front - the tongue is in the front part of the mouth and the front part of the
tongue is raised to the hard palate a front vowel is pronounced. They are – [i: e ǽ]
Central when the front of the tongue is raised towards the back part of the
hard palate the vowel is called central. They are – [Λ ə: ə].
Back- the tongue is in the back part of the mouth and the back of it is raised
towards the soft palate a back vowel is pronounced. They are – [a: o o: u:].
Vertical movement of the tongue
1) close: a) narrow: [i:] [u:]; b) broad: [i], [u], [iə], [uə];
2) mid: a) narrow: [e], [ei], [ə:], [oi]; b) broad: [eə], [ə]; [o:];
3) open: a) narrow: [], [əu]; b) broad: [æ], [ai], [au], [a:], [ɔ].
The monophthongs are divided into two varieties according to their
length:
a) short vowels: [i], [e], [ə], [æ], [], [u], [ɔ];
b) long vowels: [i:], [a:], [o:], [ə:], [u:].