Plosives Flashcards
Manner of articulation
Plosives are produced by closing the air passage completely at some point in the mouth and when the breath is released it is done with an explosion.
Place of articulation
- At the lips - bilabial plosives /p/ and /b/
- Between the tip of the tongue and the teeth ridge - alveolar plosives /t/ and /d/
- Between the back of the tongue and the soft palate - velar plosives /k/ and /g/
- In the glottis - glottal stop
Force of articulation
The voiceless plosives /p,t,k/ are pronounced with more muscular energy than voiced /b,d,g/
Aspiration
Only voiceless plosives, being fortis, are pronounced with aspiration.
The aspiration is strongly noticeable when the voiceless plosives are initial in accented syllables (pHeter)
The aspiration weakens when the plosive precedes a vowel in an unaccented syllable in final position (collect)
The aspiration disappears when /s/ precedes /p,t,k/ initially in a syllable (sky)
Voicing
The voiced plossives are voiced when used between voiced sounds. When used initially they are partially devoiced and when used in a final position, the plosives are partially devoiced.
Length of preceding vowels
Voiced plosives are distinguished from the voiceless by the length of the preceding vowel sound. Voiceless plosives shorten preceding vowels, so with voiced plosives the vowel is longer.
Sound /p/
VOICELESS, BILABIAL, PLOSIVE
Produced by closing the lips completely and raising the soft palate up to the wall of the pharynx so the air stream remains behind the barrier under pressure. When the barrier is released, it rushes out with an explosion. It is a FORTIS sound.
Sound /b/
VOICED, BILABIAL, PLOSIVE
B is produced by closing the lips completely and raising the soft palate up to the wall of the pharynx so the air stream remains behind the barrier under pressure. It is released with an explosion and a vibration of the vocal cords - it is a LENIS sound.
It lengthens preceding vowels, nasals, laterals and gives full length to long vowels and diphtongs.
When followed by a nasal, pronounced with a nasal explosion, and when by a lateral, with a lateral explosion.
Sound /t/
VOICELESS, ALVEOLAR, PLOSIVE
Formed between the tip of the tongue and the teeth ridge.
It is a FORTIS consonant. The aspiration is at its strongest in initial stressed positions and gradually disappears when /t/ is preceded by /s/ (steam).
It shortents vowels, latelars and nasals.
When followed by a nasal, pronounced with a nasal explosion, and when by a lateral, with a lateral explosion.
This sound has two allophones: dental /t/ which is used in front of interdental fricatives (eight) & postalveolar /t/ which appears in front of /r/ (try)
Sound /d/
VOICED, ALVEOLAR, PLOSIVE
Formed between the tip of the tongue and the teeth ridge. There is vibration of the vocar cords which makes it a LENIS sound.
The allophones are similar to those of /t/:
-postalveolar /d/ in front of /r/ (dry)
-dental /d/ in front of interdental fricatives (read this)
When used in final position it is partially devoiced. Vowels keep their full length when followed by /d/.
When followed by a nasal, pronounced with a nasal explosion, and when by a lateral, with a lateral explosion.
Sound /k/
VOICELESS, VELAR, PLOSIVE
Produced by raising the soft palate up to the wall of the pharynx and putting the back of the tongue against the soft palate. The breath is released with an explosion. The vocal cords do not vibrate, it is a FORTIS sound and fully aspirated in initial stressed position. When followed by a nasal, pronounced with a nasal explosion, and when by a lateral, with a lateral explosion.
Sound /g/
VOICED, VELAR, PLOSIVE
Produced by raising the soft palate up to the wall of the pharynx and putting the back of the tongue against the soft palate. The breath is released with an explosion. The vocal cords vibrate, it is LENIS consonant. In final position it is partially devoiced. Vowels preceding /g/ are longer.
When followed by a nasal, pronounced with a nasal explosion, and when by a lateral, with a lateral explosion.
