Consonants. Principles of classification

Мета: to find out about principles of classification of consonants.

Короткі теоретичні відомості

Consonants are made with air stream that meets an obstruction in the mouth or nasal cavities. On the articulatory level the consonants change:

1. In the degree of noise

2. In the manner of articulation

3. In the place of articulation.

According to the degree of noise English consonants are divided into two big classes:

Class A Noise Consonants

Class B Sonorants

A. In the production of noise consonants there is a noise component characteristic. Noise consonant sounds vary:

(1) In the work of vocal cords,

(2) in the degree of force of articulation.

According to the work of vocal cords they may be voiceless and voiced.

Voiced consonants are: [b, d, g, v, ð, z, Z,G].

Voiceless consonants are [p, t, k, f, ө, s, S, C, h]

According to the force of articulation noise consonants may be:

- strong (fortis) [p, t, k, f, ө, s, S, C, h]

- weak (lenis) [b, d, g, v, ð, z, Z,G]

B. Sonorants (or sonorous consonants) are with tone prevailing over the noise because of a rather wide air passage. They are: [m, n, ŋ, l, w, j, r].

According to the manner of articulation consonants may be of four groups:

1. Occlusive

2. Constrictive.

3. Occlusive-constrictive (affricates).

4. Rolled.

1. Occlusive consonants are sounds in the production of which the air stream meets a complete obstruction in mouth. Occlusive noise consonants are called stops because the breath is completely stopped at some point articulation and then it is released with the slight explosion, that s why they are also called plosives. According to the work of the vocal cords stops may be voiced and voiceless.

Occlusive voiced Cs are: the English [b, d, g]

Occlusive voiceless Cs are: [p, t, k]

2. Constrictive consonants are those in the production of which the air stream meets an incomplete obstruction in the resonator, so the air passage is constricted.

Constrictive noise consonants are called fricatives. The consonant sounds in the articulation of which the air passage is constricted and the air escapes through the narrowing with friction.

The English fricatives [f, v, ð, ө, Z, S, s, z, h ]. Fricatives may also differ: in the work of the vocal cords; in the degree of force of articulation.

According to the work of vocal cords they may be voiced and voiceless.

The English voiced fricatives [v, D, z, Z ]

The English voiceless fricatives [ f, ө s, S, h]

According to the force of articulation voiced consonants are weak (lenis), voiceless consonants are strong (fortis).

3. Occlusive – constrictive consonants or affricates are noise consonant sounds produced with a complete obstruction which is slowly released and the air escapes from the mouth with some friction. There are only two occlusive-constrictives in English: [C;G]

The English [G] is voiced (in certain positions) and weak (lenis); [C is voiceless and strong (fortis). Affricates are oral according to the position of the soft palate.

4. Rolled consonants are sounds pronounced with periodical momentary obstructions when the tip of the tongue taps quickly several times against the teeth ridge and vibrates in the air stream. They are the Ukrainian [p, p’].

According to the place of articulation (position of active organ of speech) against the point of articulation (the place of articulation) consonants may be:

1. Labial

2. Lingual

3. Glottal

1. Labial consonants are made by the lips. They may be bilabial and labio-dental Bilabial consonants are produced when both lips are active. They are: [p, b, m, w]. labio-dental consonants are articulated with the lower lip against the edge of the upper teeth. They are: [f, v].

2. Lingual consonants are classified into forelingual, mediolingual, backlingual. Forelingual consonants are articulated with the tip or the blade of the tongue. They differ in the position of the tip of the tongue. According to its work they may be:

- apical if the tip of the tongue is active as in case of English [t, d, s, z, ө, S, ð, G, C, n, l].

- dorsal if the blade of the tongue takes part in articulation, the tip being passive and lowered as in a case of the Ukrainian [т, т’, д, д’, н, н’, с, с’, з, з’, ч’, ц]; in English there are no dorsal consonants;

- cacuminal, if the tip of the tongue is at the back of the teeth ridge, but a depression is formed in the blade of the tongue as in case of the English [r] and the Ukrainian [p, p’]

According to the place of obstruction forelingual consonants may be:

Interdental. Dental. Alveolar. Post-alveolar. Palato-alveolar.

Interdendal consonants or interdentals are made with the tip of the tongue projected between the teeth: the English [ð, ө]. There are no interdental consonants in Ukrainian.

Dental consonants or dentals are produced with the blade of the tongue against the upper teeth: the Ukrainian [т,т’, д, д’,с,с’, з, з’,ц, л, л’].

Alveolar consonants or alveolars are articulated with the tip of the tongue against the upper teeth ridge: the English [t, d, s, z, n, l].

Post-alveolar consonants or post-alveolars are made when the tip or the blade of the tongue is against the back part of the teeth ridge or just behind it: the English [r].

Palato-alveolar consonants or palato-alveolars are made with the tip or the blade of the tongue against the teeth ridge and the front part of the tongue raised towards the hard palate, thus having two places of articulation or foci (front secondary focus); both narrowings are flat the English [C,S,Z,G].

Mediolingual consonants are produced with the front part of the tongue. They are always palatal. Palatal consonants or palatals are made with the front part of the tongue raised high to the hard palate: the Eng. [j].

Backlingual consonants are also called velar, because they are produced with the back part of the tongue raised towards the soft palate (Lat. velum). They are: the Eng. [k, g, ŋ ].

3. The glottal consonant [h] is articulated in glottis. There are no glottal consonants in Ukrainian.

Завдання до теми

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2. Larry sent the latter a letter later.

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5. Lisa laughed listlessly.

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7. Literally literary.

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9. Local yokel jokes.