English consonants

Question 1

voiceless consonants

Answer 1

consonants produced without vibration of the vocal folds, strong consonants, they are pronounced with more breath and muscular effort or tension

Question 2

voiced consonants

Answer 2

consonants produced with the vocal folds vibrating, weak consonants, tend to be articulated with less muscular energy

Question 3

criteria for the description of consonants

Answer 3

1. presence or absence of voice (voiced - voiceless)
2. position of the soft palate (oral - nasal)
3. manner of articulation
4. place of articulation

Question 4

plosives

Answer 4

There is complete closure somewhere in the mouth, the air passage is blocked. The air pressure that builds up behind the closure is then released explosively
/p, b, t, d, k, ɡ/

Question 5

fricatives

Answer 5

There is incomplete obstruction (narrowing), the air passage is narrowed to such a degree there is audible friction as outgoing air is forcing its way through
/f, v, θ, ð, s, z, ʃ, ʒ, h/

Question 6

affricatives

Answer 6

There is complete closure for the first part of the sound, which is a kind of stop ; the release stage takes the form of a fricative
/tʃ, dʒ/

Question 7

nasals

Answer 7

There is complete closure somewhere in the mouth (cf. stops) but the air can escape through the nasal cavity
/m, n, ŋ/

Question 8

lateral approximant

Answer 8

there is partial closure in the mouth: the air stream is obstructed in the centre of the mouth but can escape on one or both sides of the tongue
/l/

Question 9

central approximant

Answer 9

There is a high degree of narrowing somewhere in the mouth, but the air escapes without friction
/ j, w, r /

Question 10

manner of articulation

Answer 10

refers to the type of obstruction that is made by the vocal organs

Question 11

place of articulation

Answer 11

refers to the vocal organs involved in creating the obstruction, there are nine places of articulation

Question 12

bilabial

Answer 12

obstruction of the air passage is made by the two lips

/ p, b, m, w /

Question 13

labiodental

Answer 13

the lower lip touches the upper teeth

/ f, v /

Question 14

dental

Answer 14

articulation is achieved by the tip of the tongue and the upper teeth
/ θ, ð /

Question 15

alveolar

Answer 15

the tip and / or blade of the tongue articulate with the alveolar ridge
/ t, d, s, z, n, l /

Question 16

postalveolar

Answer 16

the tongue articulates with the rear part of the alveolar ridge
/r/

Question 17

palato-alveolar

Answer 17

the tongue tip and blade articulate with the alveolar ridge while the front of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate
/ ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, tʒ / (american r)

Question 18

palatal

Answer 18

the front of the tongue articulates with the hard palate

/ j /

Question 19

velar

Answer 19

the back of the tongue articulates with the soft palate

/k, g, ŋ /

Question 20

glottal

Answer 20

obstruction involving the glottis

/h/