Chapter 3 - Consonants (and Sound System Overview)

Question 1

phoneme

Answer 1

the sound differences that distinguish words

Question 2

allophone

Answer 2

sounds that are perceptibly different but do not distinguish words

Question 3

contrastive distribution

Answer 3

phonemes function as minimally distinctive units of sound that can alter the meaning of a word

Question 4

positional variation

Answer 4

the various allophones of a phoneme that are produced depends on where it occurs in a given word

Question 5

phonemic alphabet

Answer 5

an inventory of all of the phonetic sounds used for a language or a variety of that language

Question 6

voicing

Answer 6

whether the vocal cords are vibrating, it’s one of the three main dimensions that distinguish consonants,

Question 7

oral cavity

Answer 7

in the production of sounds, one of the two passageways that the air passes through - the mouth

Question 8

nasal passageway

Answer 8

in the production of sounds, one of the two passageways that the air passes through - the nose

Question 9

articulator

Answer 9

the movable part of the articulatory system – e.g. the tongue and the lower lip

Question 10

uvula

Answer 10

the small moveable flap of the soft palate

Question 11

velum

Answer 11

the soft palate which moves to open or close the nasal passageway

Question 12

segmental

Answer 12

the inventory of vowel and consonant sounds of a language

Question 13

suprasegmental

Answer 13

stress, rhythm, connected speech, prominence and intonation

Question 14

Place of articulation

Answer 14

Where the sound is made (i.e., where contact with the articulator occurs)

Question 15

Manner of articulation

Answer 15

How the airflow is affected

Question 16

Larynx

Answer 16

The voice box; where the vocal cords reside

Question 17

Alveolar ridge

Answer 17

The area just behind the front teeth

Question 18

Dental

Answer 18

One place of articulation; produced with tip on or near the inner surface of the upper teeth

Question 19

Palatal

Answer 19

One place of articulation; produced with the tongue blade or body near the hard palate

Question 20

Glottal

Answer 20

One place of articulation; air passing from the windpipe through the vocal cords

Question 21

Velar

Answer 21

One place of articulation; produced with the body of the tongue on or near the soft palate

Question 22

Soft palate

Answer 22

The area behind the hard palate

Question 23

Hard palate

Answer 23

The area behind the alveolar ridge

Question 24

Stop / Plosive

Answer 24

One manner of articulation; when the airstream is blocked or stopped completely before being released as an “explosion”

Question 25

Fricative

Answer 25

One manner of articulation; when the articulatory organs come close but do not touch—the sound is produced through friction.

Question 26

Continuant

Answer 26

A sound that can be made as long as there is air in the lungs. This includes all vowels and some types of consonants (fricative, for example).

Question 27

Affricate

Answer 27

One manner of articulation, combining elements of a stop and a fricative. The airstream is first stopped and allowed to build up, but is then released with friction.

Question 28

Nasal

Answer 28

One manner of articulation; when the airstream passes through the nasal cavity rather than the oral cavity.

Question 29

Alveolar ridge

Answer 29

The area just behind the teeth.

Question 30

Approximant

Answer 30

A sound where the airstream moves around the tongue and out of the mouth in a relatively unobstructed manner. Includes liquids and glides/semivowels.

Question 31

Liquids

Answer 31

/l/ and /r/

Question 32

Glides / Semivowels

Answer 32

/y/ and /w/

Question 33

Lateral consonant

Answer 33

A consonant where the airstream flows along the side of the tongue (basically /l/)

Question 34

Light / Clear

Answer 34

The form of /l/ where the air passes over one or both sides of the tongue with the tip of the tongue touching the alveolar ridge (as in 'listen').

Question 35

Dark / Velarized

Answer 35

The form of /l/ where air passes over the body of the tongue, which is bunched up in the velar area (as in 'call').

Question 36

Retroflex /r/

Answer 36

The form of /r/ where the tongue tip curls back into the mouth behind the alveolar ridge and the lips are slightly rounded. Most common version described in EFL/ESL textbooks.

Question 37

Bilabial

Answer 37

One place of articulation; produced where the lips meet.

Question 38

Syllable initial

Answer 38

One of the five places consonants can occur; at the beginning of the syllable

Question 39

Syllable final

Answer 39

One of the five places consonants can occur; at the end of a syllable

Question 40

Initial clusters

Answer 40

One of the five places consonants can occur; in a cluster of consonants at the beginning of a syllable

Question 41

Final clusters

Answer 41

One of the five places consonants can occur; in a cluster at the end of a syllable

Question 42

Positional restriction

Answer 42

The range of syllable positions in which a consonant can occur

Question 43

Aspiration

Answer 43

A brief puff of air that accompanies some consonant allophones; in English, mainly /p, t, k/

Question 44

Release

Answer 44

When the process of articulation is completed

Question 45

Flap / tap

Answer 45

A phenomenon in NAE where a sound like /d/ is produced, except the tongue touches or flaps against the alveolar ridge only very briefly. Occurs when /t/ or /d/ follows a vowel (or /r/) and precedes an unstressed syllable.

Question 46

Sibilants

Answer 46

Fricative consonants with a high-pitched, turbulant sound.

Question 47

Syllabic consonant

Answer 47

A consonant that has an allophone that can function as a weak vowel without the support of the vowel sound. In English, /n/ and /l/.

Question 48

Glottalized

Answer 48

Articulated with a momentary blockage of the airstream in the vocal cords

Question 49

Glottal stop

Answer 49

A sound formed with the vocal cords close tightly so that air cannot pass between them