Понятие об артикуляционной базе английского языка

The concept of English articulation

Ағылшын тілінің артикуляциялық базасы туралы
•The main principles of vowel and
consonant formation.
•The articulatory and auditory
difference between vowel and
consonant phonemes.
•There are two major classes of sounds
traditionally distinguished by
phoneticians in any language.
•They are termed consonants and
vowels.
•The distinction between them is based
mainly on auditory effect.
•Consonants are known to have voice
and noise combined, while vowels are
sounds consisting of voice only.
•From the articulatory point of view the
difference is due to the work of speech
organs.
• Vowels are formed by means of periodic vibrations of the
vocal cords-голосовые связки in the larynx-гортань. The
resulting sound waves are transmitted to resonance chamber -
the supralaryngeal cavities (the pharynx-глотка and the
mouth cavity), where vowels receive their characteristic
tamber.
• The quality of vowels depends on the shape and size of the
resonance chamber which is made to vary, depending on the
different positions of the tongue in the mouth cavity, on any
slight alternations in the position of the back walls of the
pharynx, in the position of the soft palate and of the lips,
which form the outlet of the resonance chamber.
•In vowel articulation no obstruction is
made and the muscular tension is spread
all over the speech organs. The force of
exhalation is rather weak for it is
expended when the air stream passes
through the larynx and causes the vocal
cords to vibrate.
• In case of consonants various obstructions are made in
one of the supralaryngeal cavities. So consonants are
characterized by so-called close articulation, that is
by a complete, partial or intermittent blockage of
the airpassage by an organ or organs. The closure is
made in such a way that the airstream is blocked or
hindered or otherwise gives rise to audible friction
which acoustically results in noise. In consonant
articulation the muscular tension is concentrated at the
point of obstruction and a stronger air stream is
required.
• According to the degree of noise consonants are
divided into noise and sonorant.
• Sonorants are sounds intermediate between
consonants and vowels.
• Because they have features common to both,
that is why some sonorants are called
semivowels.
• In the production of sonorants the obstruction
is complete or incomplete but not narrow enough
to produce noise. In other words, the air passage
between the two organs of speech is much wider
than in the production of noise consonants.
• In sonorants articulation muscular tension is
concentrated in the place of obstruction, but the
exhaling force is rather weak.
• Summing up the articulatory difference
between vowels, noise consonants and
sonorants, one can single out three criteria:
 the presence or absence of obstruction to the
airstream;
 the concentrated or diffused character of
muscular tension;
 the force of exhalation.
 General principles of the
classification of English vowel
and consonant phonemes.
English vowels are classified according to the following principles:

1. Position of the lips.

2. Position of the tongue.
3. Length.
4. Degree of tenseness.
5. The character of the end.
6. Stability of articulation.
English consonants are classified according to the following principles:

1. Work of the vocal cords and the force of

exhalation.
2. Active organ of speech and the place of
obstruction
3. Manner of the noise production and the type of
obstruction.
4. Position of the soft palate.