UNIVERSIDAD PEDAGOGICA EXPERIMENTAL LIBERTADOR

INSTITUTO PEDAGOGICO DE CARACAS

DEPARTAMENTO DE IDIOMAS MODERNOS
PROGRAMA INGLÉS
CÁTEDRA DE FONÉTICA Y FONOLOGÍA

Fricatives (part I)

Designed by Glasmiry Bello

 Fricatives

Davenport & Hannahs, (1998) “fricatives are defined as sounds

produced when the active articulator is close to, but not actually
in contact with, the passive articulator. This position, close
approximation, means that as the air exits, it is forced through a
narrow passage between the articulators, resulting in
considerable friction.” (p. 27)
 Production of Fricatives

• The velum being raised, the air-stream coming from the lungs is
restricted by the coming together of two articulators, i.e., these
consonants do not involve a complete stoppage of the air-stream but
rather a partial obstruction, a stricture known as close
approximation.

 
 Production of Fricatives

• The two articulatory organs are close to each other, but without
complete closure, the air moves through a narrow passage way
(i.e. the airflow makes its way out through the gap between the two
articulators)

• The air being forced through this passage causes some turbulence;
it causes considerable friction.
 Classification of Fricatives

PLACE OF ARTICULATION
Labiodental Dental Alveolar Palato-alveolar Glottal
(or
alveopalatal)
(lower lip (tongue (tongue blade (tongue blade (vocal
with tip with with with cords)
upper teeth) back alveolar ridge) alveolar ridge,
part of and
upper front raised to
teeth) hard palate)
Fortis / f / / θ / / s/ / ʃ/ / h /
Voiceless
Lenis / v / / ð / / z / / ʒ /
Voiced
 Voiceless labiodental fricative /f/

The air coming from the lungs

passes through the vocal folds
producing a non-audible
vibration; then, the airflow finds a
close approximation made by the
contact of the upper teeth and
lower lip. The airflow is forced to
go out through the narrow passage
producing a kind of turbulence or
friction during the realization of
the air.
Voiceless labiodental fricative allophones

/f/ [f]
 Voiced labiodental fricative /v/

The air coming from the lungs

passes through the vocal folds
producing an audible vibration;
then, the airflow finds a close
approximation made by the
contact of the upper teeth and
lower lip. The airflow is forced to
go out through the narrow passage
producing a kind of turbulence or
friction during the realization of
the air.
Voiced labiodental fricative allophones

[v]
/v/
[v]
Positional occurrence

Phoneme Word-initial Word-medial Word-final

/f/ Five Effect Knife

/v/ Vine Clover Give

Grapheme-Phoneme correspondence
(Labiodental fricatives)

Phoneme Letter Most common orthographic representations &

(s) examples
- Initial and medial ‘f’, and final ‘ff’, are pronounced
/f/; e.g. fine, after, afford, stuff.
- After tense vowels, word-final ‘fe(silent)’ is
f
/f/ ph pronounced /f/; e.g. life.
gh
- The letters ‘ph’ represent /f/ initially, medially and
finally; e.g. phase, telephone, Ralph.
- Syllable-final gh is realized as /f/ only in cough,
enough, rough, tough, trough, laugh, draught.
Grapheme-Phoneme correspondence
(Labiodental fricatives)

- In initial and medial position, the letter ‘v’ is always

/v/ v realized as /v/; e.g. vote, avid.
- In final position /v/ is almost always spelled ‘ve(silent)’;
e.g. move.
 Voiceless dental fricative /θ/

The air coming from the lungs

passes through the vocal folds
producing a non-audible
vibration; then, the airflow finds a
close approximation made by the
contact of the tip/blade of the
tongue and the upper teeth. The
airflow is forced to go out
through the narrow passage
producing a kind of turbulence or
friction during the realization of
the air.
Voiceless dental fricative allophone

/θ/ = [θ]
 Voiced dental fricative /ð/

The air coming from the lungs

passes through the vocal folds
producing an audible vibration;
then, the airflow finds a close
approximation made by the
contact of the tip/blade of the
tongue and the upper teeth. The
airflow is forced to go out
through the narrow passage
producing a kind of turbulence or
friction during the realization of
the air.
Voiced dental fricative allophones

/ð/ = [ð]
Grapheme-Phoneme correspondence
(Dental fricatives)

- Initially, medially and finally –in common nouns,

adjectives, adverbs and verbs- ‘th’ usually represents /θ/;
e.g. threaten, mathematics, path.
/θ/ th - It also occurs in proper nouns; e.g. Theodore, Garth.
(At the beginning of words ‘th’ is generally pronounced /θ/
except in some common grammar words. Word-final ‘th’ is
nearly always pronounced /θ/ except in verbs ending in ‘-
the’)
Grapheme-Phoneme correspondence
(Dental fricatives)

- ‘Th’ followed by a vowel letter represents /ð/ in function

words; e.g. this, although.
- /ð/ occurs medially in nouns signaling relationships; e.g.
brother.
- In verbs before a final silent letter e, th is pronounced /ð/.
/ð/ th
‘Th’ followed by e is usually pronounced /ð/; e.g. loathe,
another.
(When it comes in the middle of a word, a useful rule is to
tell learners that ‘th’ is pronounced /ð/ when it comes before
an -er ending.)
Positional occurrence

/θ/ Thank Author Mouth

/ð/ The Mother Bathe