Chapter 7

Question 1

Why are nasal sounds called like this?

Answer 1

They are called like that because the air escapes through the nose. For this to happen, the soft palate must be lowered.

Question 2

What are the 3 types of closure?

Answer 2

Bilabial, alveolar and velar.

Question 3

Which is the only nasal sound that doesn’t occur in the beginning?

Answer 3

/ŋ/

Question 4

What is the name of the consonantal sound /l/? Why?

Answer 4

The /l/ phoneme is called lateral approximant. This is a consonant in which the passage of air through the mouth does not go in the usual way along the centre of the tongue. The only way for the air to escape is along the sides of the tongue.

Question 5

What are “clear /l/” and “dark /l/”?

Answer 5

Allophones of the phoneme /l/

Question 6

What is the name of the consonantal sound /r/? Why?

Answer 6

The /r/ phoneme is called and approximant. It is an articulation in which the articulators approach each other but do not go sufficiently close to each other to produce a “complete” consonant such as a plosive, nasal or fricative.

Question 7

What are retroflex consonants?

Answer 7

They are consonants in which the tongue is usually slightly curled backwards with the tip raised.

Question 8

What are the names of the consonantal sounds /j/ and /w/? Why?

Answer 8

/j/ is called palatal approximant.
/w/ is called bilabial approximant.
They are both approximants. They are phonetically like vowels but phonologically like consonants.