What is a Consonant

1. 11. 2016

FO1BE WS 16/17 (NSK): What is a Consonant?

https://elearning.fp.tul.cz/mod/page/view.php?id=24032&inpopup=1

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FO1BE: Phonetics and Phonology WS
2016/2017 (NSK)

WHAT IS A CONSONANT?

/

wɒt ɪz Ә ˈkonsӘnӘnt/

A  consonant  is  a  speech  sound  where  the  airstream  from  the  lungs  is  either  completely
blocked  (a  plosive  or  a  stop),  partial y  blocked  (a  lateral),  or  where  the  opening  is  so
narrow that the air escapes with audible friction (a fricative) [audible –slyšitelné; friction  –
tření.]  With  some  consonants  the  airstream  is  blocked  in  the  mouth  but  it  can  escape
through the nose. These are cal ed nasals. With the other main group of speech sounds,
the  vowels,  the  air  from  the  lungs  is  not  blocked  and  it  can  escape  freely.  There  are  a
number  of  sounds  where  the  distinction  is  not  clear­cut,  such  as  the  sound  /j/  in  yes.
Linguists have cal ed these sounds approximants or semi­vowels.

There are 24 consonant phonemes in English.

Describing consonant sounds

Three things can be said about every consonant:

1. if it is voiceless or voiced,

2.the place of articulation,

3.the manner of articulation.

1.Voiceless or voiced? /ˈvɔɪslӘs ɔː vɔɪst/

If the vocal cords do not vibrate, the consonant is voiceless.

If they do, the consonant is voiced.

These are voiceless:

/p/ /t/ /k/ /f/ /θ/ /s/ /ʃ//ʧ/ /h/

These are voiced:

/b/ /d/ /g/ /v/ /ð/ /z/ /ʒ/ /ʤ/

/m/ /n/ /ŋ/ /r/ /w/ /l/ /j/

(See information sheet: “What is Voicing?“)

2.Place of articulation /pleɪs Әv ɑːtɪkjʊˈleɪʃӘn/

This means where the sound is produced, which articulators are used.

The main ones are:

­two lips = bilabial /baɪˈleɪbɪӘl/

1. 11. 2016

FO1BE WS 16/17 (NSK): What is a Consonant?

https://elearning.fp.tul.cz/mod/page/view.php?id=24032&inpopup=1

2/3

­the lower lip touching top teeth = labiodental /ˌleɪbɪӘʊˈdentӘl/

­the tongue touching the upper teeth = dental / ˈdentӘl/

­the tongue touching the alveolar ridge = alveolar / ælviˈӘʊlӘ/

­the back of the tongue touching the soft palate (velum) = velar /ˈvi:lӘ/

(See information sheet “The Articulators“; “Phonetic Description of Consonants“ )

3. Manner of Articulation //mænӘ(r) Әv ɑːtɪkjʊˈleɪʃӘn/

This describes the way in which the speech sounds are produced by the speech organs (the
articulators).

There are different ways of producing consonant sounds:

­stopped and suddenly released = plosives