Consonant sounds
The Stops
-The sounds in this group are made by obstructing
the airstream completely in the oral cavity.
a) Bilabial stops
b) Alveolar stops
c) Velar stops
BILABIAL STOPS
INITIAL FINAL
VL /p/ VD /b/ VL /p/ VD /b/
pill bill mop mob
prim brim cap cab
punch bunch lap lab
pole bowl sup sub
prawn brawn elope lobe
ALVEOLAR STOPS
INITIAL FINAL
VL /t/ VD /d/ VL /t/ VD /d/
trill drill kite guide
team deem write ride
tip dip seat seed
ten den late laid
VELAR STOPS
INITIAL FINAL
Vl /k/ Vd /g/ Vl /k/ Vd /g/
crane grain knock nog
coat Goat lack log
cram Gram beck beg
kill Gill frock frog
Sound of the final-ed
-The final –ed of a regular past form is
pronounced as /t/, /d/, or [id].
/t/ when verb ends in a Vl consonant sounds.
/p/ /k/ /f/ /s/ /ʃ/ /tʃ/
Rapped Tacked Stuffed Kissed Wished Pitched
Dipped Barked Sniffed Rinsed Fished Matched
Helped Cooked Coughed Cursed Rushed Launched
/d/ when the verb ends in a Vd consonant
sounds
/b/ /g/ /v/ /z/ /m/
Sobbed Begged Saved Buzzed Summed
Curbed Rigged Loved Razed Jammed
/n/ /ŋ/ /r/ /l/ /ð/
Signed Longed Cared Curled Breathed
Banned Hanged Stared Called loathed
/id/ when the verb ends in a /t/ or /d/ sound
Final /t/ sound Final /d/ sound
part – parted load – loaded
wait – waited brand – branded
faint- fainted need – needed
act – acted fold – folded
want – wanted guard – guarded
The fricatives
- The sounds in this group are made by
forming a nearly complete stoppage of
the airstream.
a) Labio-dental fricatives
b) Interdental fricatives
c) Glottal fricatives
d) Alveolar fricatives
e) Palatal fricatives
Labio-dental Fricatives
INITIAL FINAL
Vl /f/ Vd /v/ Vl /f/ Vd /v/
fail veil strife strive
fan van motif motive
fat vat leaf leave
fault vault gift give
Interdental Fricatives
INITIAL FINAL
Vl /θ/ Vd /ð/ Vl /θ/
Vd /ð/
Breath
Thin Then Cloth Breathe
Wreath Clothe
Thigh Thy Wreathe
Theme Them
Alveolar Fricatives
INITIAL FINAL
Vl /s/ Vd /z/ Vl /s/ Vd /z/
Sip Zip Kiss His
Sue Zoo Race Raise
Sink Zinc Price Prize
Sane Zane Bus Buzz
Sewn zone Toes toes
Pronunciation of the final S
The letter ‘ s ‘ may sound as /
s, z, or iz /.
/s/ when it follows a voiceless consonant
sound
/p/ /t/ /k/ /f/
cups coats books cuffs
sleeps writes walks laughs
/z/ when it follows a vowel sound or a voiced
consonant sound.
fees cafes fades boars spoons
toes tubes pads cars songs
shoes bags ells rhymes kings
pays curls paves brooms archives
/iz/ when it follows words that ends in / s, z,
ʃ, t, and ʤ.
class- classes bush- bushes catch- catches
mass- masses fish- fishes cage- cages
doze- dozes match- matches page- pages
The affricates
- The sounds in this group are made by briefly
stopping the aristream completely and then releasing
the articulators slightly so that friction is produced;
these sounds start as stops and finish as fricatives.
Symbol Sample word
/c/ cheers
/j/ jam
The Nasals
-Nasal sounds pass through the nose rather than through the mouth.
All nasals are voiced.
Symbol Sample word
/m/ - bilabial meat, drum
/n/ - alveolar nun, noun
/ng/ - velar sing, tang
The Alveolar Lateral
- This sound is produced by pressing the tongue against the alveolar
ridge and letting the sound pass through the sides of the tongue.
Symbol Sample word
/l/ leave, spell
The Retroflex
- This sound is produced by letting
the sound pass between the hard
palate and slightly rolled tip of the
tongue.
/r/ as in rare, roar, boar, road
NOTE: Alveolar lateral and
retroflex are also known as
resonants.
The Semivowels
Semi-vowel is a consonant phoneme made in the same way as a
vowel but without producing a beat, hence, the name.
The W sound, Y sound are called semi- vowel, because although
the tract is relatively unrestricted during the formation of both of
these sounds, they are not syllabic.
a. Bilabial Semivowel- This is produced by moving the tongue
upward backward with the accompanying rounding of the lips.
/w/as in win, wet, woe, wall
b. Prepalatal Semivowel- This sound is produced by moving the
tongue upward and forward.
/y/ as in yell, yam
Syllabic Consonants
- Syllabic consonants make up a syllable without the
accompaniment of vowels. (l,n,m,r)
Example:
didn’t
middle
rythm
father
acre
