Phonetics and Phonology

Topic 1: Organs of Speech

Introduction

Language is used for communication, either through speaking or writing. In spoken language,
speech sounds are produced. In this topic, we’ll learn how speech sounds are made and the
process behind them, known as articulatory phonetics.

We'll explore the main parts of the body involved in making speech sounds, focusing on:

 Place of articulation (where the sound is made)

 Manner of articulation (how the sound is made)
 Phonation (whether the vocal cords vibrate or not)

You'll also need to observe your own mouth to identify where these sounds come from.

1.1 Organs of Speech

How are speech sounds different from other sounds?

 Speech sounds start when air is pushed out from the lungs through the mouth or nose.
This process is called an egressive pulmonic airstream.
 While some languages use air flowing into the lungs (ingressive pulmonic
airstream), all English sounds are made by air flowing out of the lungs.
 Different speech sounds are created by blocking or shaping the airflow in various
ways. These blockages are controlled by different parts of the body, called
articulators or organs of speech.

The organs involved in speech include specific parts of the mouth and throat.
Speech Organs and Their Functions

1. Lips

 The lips are at the front of the mouth.

 Sounds made by blocking the air with both lips are called bilabial sounds.

2. Teeth

 Teeth are found in both the upper and lower jaws.

 When the upper and lower teeth come together, they can block air and create a hissing
sound. Sounds made with the teeth are dental sounds.
 Sounds involving the ridge behind the upper front teeth (dental ridge) are called
interdental or dental alveolar sounds.

3. Palate (Roof of the Mouth)

 The palate forms the top part of the mouth.

 It stretches from the area behind the upper front teeth (dental ridge) to the back of the
mouth.
o The hard palate is the firm, concave part in the center.
o The soft palate (or velum) is located at the back, ending with the uvula.
4. Tongue

 The tongue is divided into three parts: the tip, the front, and the back.
o The tip touches the back of the front teeth when resting.
o The front is below the hard palate.
o The back is below the soft palate.

5. Epiglottis

 Located at the end of the throat, it prevents food or drink from entering the lungs by
closing the windpipe when we swallow.

6. Larynx (Voice Box)

 The larynx is the upper part of the windpipe and protects the vocal cords.
 Vocal cords are elastic membranes in the larynx that can vibrate to produce sound.
o When they vibrate, the sound is voiced (e.g., "z" in "buzz").
o When they don’t vibrate, the sound is voiceless (e.g., "s" in "hiss").

How Speech Sounds Are Produced

 Speech sounds are created by blocking or shaping the airflow using the organs
mentioned.
 There are two tracts (paths) for the air to pass through:
o Oral tract: Air moves from the pharynx through the mouth (producing sounds
like "t" and "k").
o Nasal tract: Air moves through the nose (producing nasal sounds like "m"
and "n").

Next, we’ll explore how different places of articulation create different consonant sounds.

1.2 Places of Articulation

Speech sounds are produced by blocking the flow of air at different points in the mouth or
throat. The location where the airflow is obstructed is called the place of articulation.
Sounds made with this obstruction are called consonant sounds. We group sounds based on
where this obstruction happens.
Let’s look at the different places of articulation:

 Bilabial: Sounds made with both lips (e.g., "p" in "pat").

 Labiodental: Sounds made by the lower lip and upper teeth (e.g., "f" in "fan").
 Dental: Sounds made with the tongue against the upper teeth (e.g., "th" in "think").
 Interdental: Sounds made with the tongue between the teeth (e.g., "th" in "this").
 Alveolar: Sounds made with the tongue touching the ridge behind the upper front
teeth (e.g., "t" in "tap").
 Palato-alveolar: Sounds made with the tongue near the back of the alveolar ridge
(e.g., "sh" in "shoe").
 Palatal: Sounds made with the tongue against the hard palate (e.g., "y" in "yes").
 Velar: Sounds made with the back of the tongue against the soft palate (e.g., "k" in
"kite").
 Uvular: Sounds made with the back of the tongue against the uvula (not common in
English).
 Retroflex: Sounds made with the tip of the tongue curled back (not common in
English).
 Glottal: Sounds made with the vocal cords (e.g., "h" in "hat").

Refer to Figure 1.2 to see the exact points of articulation inside the mouth. You can try
saying different words and noticing where the air is blocked in your mouth to identify the
place of articulation. As you practice, think of other words with the same place of
articulation.
1.3 Manner of Articulation

Manner of Articulation refers to how the airflow is blocked and the way sound is produced.
The blockage can be total or partial, and the air can pass through either the nasal cavity
(nose) or the oral cavity (mouth).

 Nasal cavity: The air flows through the nose because the velum (soft palate) is
lowered.
 Oral cavity: The air flows through the mouth when the nasal cavity is blocked by
raising the velum.

Types of Manner of Articulation

1. Nasals:
o Air is blocked in the mouth and goes through the nose.
o Examples: [m] in "met", [n] in "net."
2. Plosives (Stops):
o The airflow is blocked and then quickly released, creating a burst of sound.
o Examples: [p] in "pat", [b] in "bat."
3. Fricatives:
o The air is partially blocked, creating continuous friction at the place of
articulation.
o Examples: [f] in "fin", [v] in "van."
4. Affricates:
o A combination of a plosive followed by a fricative.
o Examples: [ʧ] in "cheap", [ʤ] in "judge."
5. Approximants (Semivowels):
o Partial blockage of the airflow, but without friction.
o Examples: [w] in "win", [j] in "yes."
6. Liquids:
o A type of approximant where the air flows around the sides of the tongue.
o Examples: [l] in "let", [r] in "row."
These different manners of articulation determine how consonant sounds are formed in

English.

1.4 Phonation

 Phonation (Voicing): Refers to whether the vocal cords vibrate or not during sound
production.
o Voiceless (Fortis): No vibration of vocal cords; vocal cords are apart, and the
glottis is open.
o Voiced (Lenis): Vocal cords vibrate; the glottis is closed, causing vibration.
 Voiced and voiceless sounds have the same manner and place of articulation but
differ in phonation.

Examples:

 Voiceless:
o [p] in pat, [t] in pat, [k] in Kate, [f] in fin, [θ] in thin, [s] in sin.
 Voiced:
o [b] in bat, [d] in pad, [g] in gate, [v] in van, [ð] in then, [z] in zoo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTJpki5gM4g
Multiple Choice Questions: Organ of Speech

1. What is the main organ responsible for pushing air out to produce speech
sounds?
o A) Tongue
o B) Lungs
o C) Lips
o D) Teeth
2. Which part of the mouth is involved in producing bilabial sounds?
o A) Tongue
o B) Upper teeth
o C) Both lips
o D) Uvula
3. Sounds produced with the involvement of teeth are called:
o A) Bilabial
o B) Dental
o C) Nasal
o D) Velar
4. Which part of the mouth forms the central part of the roof?
o A) Velum
o B) Uvula
o C) Hard palate
o D) Tongue
5. What is the role of the epiglottis during swallowing?
o A) Produces voiced sounds
o B) Vibrates the vocal cords
o C) Prevents food from entering the lungs
o D) Blocks airflow to produce nasal sounds
o

6. Which organ is sometimes referred to as the "voice box"?

o A) Uvula
 o B) Larynx
o C) Hard palate
o D) Glottis
7. Which sounds are produced when the vocal cords vibrate?
o A) Voiced sounds
o B) Voiceless sounds
o C) Nasal sounds
o D) Fricative sounds
8. Where are fricative sounds produced?
o A) Lips
o B) Teeth
o C) Through continuous friction at the place of articulation
o D) From the nasal cavity
9. What is the glottis?
o A) The space between the vocal cords
o B) The back part of the tongue
o C) The front part of the lips
o D) The ridge behind the upper teeth
10. Which part of the mouth is responsible for producing velar sounds?
o A) Tongue
o B) Soft palate
o C) Upper teeth
o D) Uvula
11. The airflow in a voiceless sound is:
o A) Completely obstructed by the lips
o B) Released through the nasal cavity
o C) Released without vocal cord vibration
o D) Directed through the hard palate
o

12. Sounds like [m] and [n] are examples of which manner of articulation?
o A) Plosives
o B) Fricatives
o C) Nasals
 o D) Affricates
13. Which of the following is an example of a voiced sound?
o A) [p] in pat
o B) [t] in tap
o C) [b] in bat
o D) [k] in kite
14. Which part of the tongue touches the roof of the mouth when making palatal
sounds?
o A) The tip
o B) The front
o C) The back
o D) The middle

B) The front

Explanation:

Palatal sounds are produced when the front part of the tongue comes into contact with or
gets close to the hard palate, which is the bony part of the roof of the mouth located just
behind the alveolar ridge.

Examples of Palatal Sounds:

1. In English:
o The /j/ sound in "yes" is a palatal approximant.
o The /ʃ/ sound in "she" and the /ʒ/ sound in "measure" can also have slight
palatal characteristics depending on the speaker.

15. The uvula is located:

o A) At the front of the mouth
o B) At the end of the soft palate
o C) Under the tongue
o D) Between the vocal cords

Answers
 1. Answer: B) Lungs
2. Answer: C) Both lips
3. Answer: B) Dental
4. Answer: C) Hard palate
5. Answer: C) Prevents food from entering the lungs
6. Answer: B) Larynx
7. Answer: A) Voiced sounds
8. Answer: C) Through continuous friction at the place of articulation
9. Answer: A) The space between the vocal cords
10. Answer: B) Soft palate
11. Answer: C) Released without vocal cord vibration
12. Answer: C) Nasals
13. Answer: C) [b] in bat
14. Answer: B) The front
15. Answer: B) At the end of the soft palate

Self-Test 1

1. What are the three aspects of an articulatory description?

o Place of articulation, manner of articulation, and phonation (voicing).
2. What is the major part of the articulatory anatomy involved in phonation?
o The vocal cords located in the larynx are the major part involved in
phonation.
3. Give the place of articulation for the initial sounds of these words:
o ten: Alveolar
o pen: Bilabial
o gap: Velar
o map: Bilabial
o shop: Palato-alveolar
o row: Alveolar
4. What is a fortis sound?
 o A fortis sound is a voiceless sound where the vocal cords do not vibrate
during articulation.

Distinction Between Fortis and Lenis:

The main contrast lies in force of articulation:

 (voiceless) Fortis: Stronger, with no or less voicing.

 (voiced) Lenis: Weaker articulation, usually accompanied by vocal cord vibration.

5. Provide an example of an English sound produced at these points and manner of

articulation:
o (a) Palatal nasal: [ɲ] (This sound is not common in English, but it can be
heard in some dialects or loanwords.)
o (b) Alveolar stop: [t] as in tap, or [d] as in dad (depending on whether it is
voiceless or voiced).

Self-Test 2

1. Explain the difference between a nasal sound and a plosive sound.

 Nasal sound: Produced when the velum is lowered, allowing the airstream to flow
through the nasal cavity. An example is [m] as in man.
 Plosive sound: Produced when the airstream is completely blocked in the oral cavity
and then suddenly released, creating a burst of sound. An example is [p] as in pat.

2. Describe the process of producing a voiced sound.

 A voiced sound is produced when the vocal cords vibrate. During the production of
a voiced sound, the glottis (space between the vocal cords) is closed as the vocal
cords are brought together. The airstream from the lungs passes through, causing the
vocal cords to vibrate, which generates a voiced sound, like [b] in bat.

3. What are the similarities and differences between the sounds [m], [p], and
[b]? Describe the manner of articulation of each of these sounds.
  Similarities:
o All three sounds are bilabial, meaning they are produced with both lips.
 Differences:
o [m] is a nasal sound where the air passes through the nasal cavity.
o [p] is a voiceless plosive sound where the air is blocked and then released
without vocal cord vibration.
o [b] is a voiced plosive sound, similar to [p], but with vocal cord vibration.

4. Describe the manner of articulation of each of these sounds:

 (i) [dʒ] as in judge:

o Affricate: A combination of a plosive immediately followed by a fricative.
The sound begins with complete closure and ends with friction as the air is
released.
 (ii) [v] as in van:
o Fricative: Produced by bringing the lower lip close to the upper teeth
(labiodental), creating continuous friction as the airstream is forced through.
 (iii) [g] as in gate:
o Plosive: A voiced velar plosive produced by blocking the airstream at the
back of the mouth with the tongue and the soft palate, then releasing it.
 (iv) [r] as in row:
o Approximant: Produced with partial obstruction, but not enough to cause
friction. The sound involves the tongue approaching the alveolar ridge
without making a complete closure.
 (v) [z] as in zoo:
o Fricative: A voiced alveolar fricative produced with continuous friction at the
alveolar ridge while the vocal cords vibrate.