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Affricate

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67 views3 pages

Affricate

Uploaded by

Huyen Thuong
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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1.

AFFRICATE SOUNDS

1.1 Definition:

- Affricate sounds are a type of consonant sound characterized by a two-part


articulation involving a stop (plosive) closure, like /t/ /d/ followed by a fricative
release, like /ʃ/ or /ʒ/.

- Affricates are found in many languages around the world, including English.

- English has two primary affricate sounds, represented phonetically as [tʃ] and
[dʒ].

1.2. Characteristics:

* Two-part articulation: Affricate sounds involve a two-stage articulation process.


They begin with a complete closure of the vocal tract, which momentarily stops the
airflow, similar to stop consonants. This closure is then released gradually,
allowing air to pass through with friction, creating a fricative-like sound.

* Place and voicing:

+ Affricate sounds can be articulated at various places in the vocal tract, including
the alveolar, postalveolar, and palatal regions. However, the plosive and the
following fricative must be made with the same articulators - the plosive and
fricative must be homorganic.

- For example, the sounds/t/ /d/ and /ʃ/ /ʒ/ are homorganic. They are made with
the tongue blade against the alveolar ridge. => [tʃ] and [dʒ] can be considered as
affricates. ts, dz, tr, and dr would also count as affricates for the same reason.
However, we normally only count [tʃ] and [dʒ] as affricate phonemes of English.

- The /kf/ form in ‘ breakfast’ is not an affricate sound. (k: plosive, velar; f
fricative, labiodental)

+ Affricates can be voiced or voiceless. The stop and fricative can’t differ in
voicing. If one is voiceless, the other must be voiceless too.

( /t/: voiceless, alveolar plosive + / ʃ/ : voiceless, alveolar fricative ; /d/: voiced,


alveolar plosive + /ʒ/: voiced, alveolar fricative )
* A clear distinction between phases:

Affricate sounds exhibit a clear distinction between the stop and fricative
phases. There is typically a brief moment of silence or closure during the stop
phase, followed by a gradual release characterized by audible friction.

1.3. Two primary Affricates in English:

- Voiceless alveolar affricate [tʃ]

+ Articulation: This sound is produced by first stopping the airflow with the tip
of the tongue against the alveolar ridge (the bump behind your upper front teeth) to
create a complete closure. Then, the tongue is released to create friction as the air
passes through a narrow channel between the tongue and the roof of the mouth.

+ Example: ‘chip’, ‘cheese’, ‘church’, ‘watch’

- Voiced post-alveolar affricate [dʒ].

+ Articulation: This sound is produced similarly to [tʃ], but with voicing. The
closure is made by placing the front part of the tongue against the alveolar ridge,
and the release creates friction as the voiced air passes through.

+ Example: “judge”, “jam”, “large”, “jet”

2. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AFFRICATE CONSONANT AND


STOP/ PLOSIVE CONSONANT SOUNDS.

Affricate consonant sounds and stop consonant sounds are both distinct categories
of speech sounds, but they differ in their manner of articulation and acoustic
characteristics.

2.1. Manner of articulation:

 Affricate Consonant Sounds: Affricates involve a two-stage articulation


process. They begin with a complete closure of the vocal tract, similar to
stop consonants, but this closure is followed by a gradual release where
airflow is obstructed, creating friction. This combination of a stop and a
fricative gives affricates their unique quality.

 Stop Consonant Sounds: Stops, also known as plosives, involve a complete


closure or occlusion of the vocal tract, which stops the airflow completely.
This closure is followed by a sudden release, resulting in a burst of sound.
Unlike affricates, stops do not involve a gradual release with friction.

2.2. Acoustic Characteristics:

 Affricate Consonant Sounds: Affricates typically have a longer duration


compared to stops due to the additional fricative phase. They also exhibit a
characteristic rise in intensity during the fricative release.

 Stop Consonant Sounds: Stops have a shorter duration compared to


affricates, with a quick onset and release of sound. They exhibit a sharp
spike in intensity during the release phase.

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