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The phones of English are divided into two main categories: vowels and consonants.
a) Vowel
Vowels are speech sounds that are produced without significant constriction of airflow through the vocal tract. Tongue position during pronunciation is the most critical factor affecting English vowels, although lip position plays a part, too. (“Phonetics: Speech Sound”, 2005: par.12)
It is said in another article that a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! /ɑː/ or oh! /oʊ/, pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis. (“Vowel”, 2008: par.1).
From the explanation above, the vowels in English is speech sounds which are produced by human speech organ. The vocal tract is opened, so that the airflow passes without any obstruction. In English’s writing systems based on the Latin alphabet, the letters A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes W and Y are all used to represent vowels. In many languages, including English, there are other more complex vowels, called diphthongs, which have a sound that glides from one vowel quality to another because the tongue moves around as it is spoken, such as /bait/ in word bite.
b) Consonant
In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the upper vocal tract, the upper vocal tract being defined as that part of the vocal tract that lies above the larynx. Consonants have an obstruction somewhere in the vocal tract as the speech sound is produced.
The word consonant is also used to refer to a letter of an alphabet that denotes a consonant sound. Consonant letters in the English alphabet are B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Z, and usually Y: The letter Y stands for the consonant [j] in "yoke", and for the vowel [ɪ] in "myth".
Each consonant can be distinguished by several features:
1) The manner of articulation is the method that the consonant is articulated, such as nasal (through the nose), stop (complete obstruction of air), or approximant (vowel like).
2) The place of articulation is where in the vocal tract the obstruction of the consonant occurs, and which speech organs are involved. Places include bilabial (both lips), alveolar (tongue against the gum ridge), and velar (tongue against soft palate). Additionally, there may be a simultaneous narrowing at another place of articulation, such as palatalisation.
3) The phonation of a consonant is how the vocal cords vibrate during the articulation. When the vocal cords vibrate fully, the consonant is called voiced; when they do not vibrate at all, it's voiceless.
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a) Vowel
Vowels are speech sounds that are produced without significant constriction of airflow through the vocal tract. Tongue position during pronunciation is the most critical factor affecting English vowels, although lip position plays a part, too. (“Phonetics: Speech Sound”, 2005: par.12)
It is said in another article that a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! /ɑː/ or oh! /oʊ/, pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis. (“Vowel”, 2008: par.1).
From the explanation above, the vowels in English is speech sounds which are produced by human speech organ. The vocal tract is opened, so that the airflow passes without any obstruction. In English’s writing systems based on the Latin alphabet, the letters A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes W and Y are all used to represent vowels. In many languages, including English, there are other more complex vowels, called diphthongs, which have a sound that glides from one vowel quality to another because the tongue moves around as it is spoken, such as /bait/ in word bite.
b) Consonant
In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the upper vocal tract, the upper vocal tract being defined as that part of the vocal tract that lies above the larynx. Consonants have an obstruction somewhere in the vocal tract as the speech sound is produced.
The word consonant is also used to refer to a letter of an alphabet that denotes a consonant sound. Consonant letters in the English alphabet are B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Z, and usually Y: The letter Y stands for the consonant [j] in "yoke", and for the vowel [ɪ] in "myth".
Each consonant can be distinguished by several features:
1) The manner of articulation is the method that the consonant is articulated, such as nasal (through the nose), stop (complete obstruction of air), or approximant (vowel like).
2) The place of articulation is where in the vocal tract the obstruction of the consonant occurs, and which speech organs are involved. Places include bilabial (both lips), alveolar (tongue against the gum ridge), and velar (tongue against soft palate). Additionally, there may be a simultaneous narrowing at another place of articulation, such as palatalisation.
3) The phonation of a consonant is how the vocal cords vibrate during the articulation. When the vocal cords vibrate fully, the consonant is called voiced; when they do not vibrate at all, it's voiceless.
Previous topic : 5. The History of English
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