WEBSITE davidbrett@uniss.it Please use this website to practice what you learn during lessons 1.

WEBSITEWEBSITE

davidbrett@uniss.it

Please use this website to practice what you learn during lessons

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2011-12 LINGUA INGLESE 1 modulo A/B2011-12 LINGUA INGLESE 1 modulo A/BIntroduction to English LinguisticsIntroduction to English Linguisticsprof. Hugo Bowlesprof. Hugo Bowles

Lesson 3

Consonant sounds 3

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Structure UsePragmatics

Meaning (semantics)GrammarMedium of

Transmission

Phonetics Phonology Morphology Syntax Lexicon Discourse

Structure of Spoken Language (from Crystal 1997)

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Key concepts: the Key concepts: the phonephone

Each time a speech sound is produced it is different

Each time you produce a /t/ it will be ever so slightly different

Hence the concept of the phone: a physical realisation of a speech sound

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Key concepts: the Key concepts: the phonemephoneme

The smallest speech sound that has linguistic value

When a series of phones are similar in terms of articulation and can be distinguished from another group in terms of meaning and collocation, the group is given a name e.g. /t/. This is a phoneme.

The phoneme is an abstract term, specific to a particular language.

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How many consonant sounds are How many consonant sounds are present in these three words?present in these three words?

catthiskick

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BREAKFASTBREAKFAST

/b//r//k//f//s//t/

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ArticulationArticulation

/b//d//g//k//p//t/

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Speech sounds can be divided into three Speech sounds can be divided into three main types:main types:

Stops (or plosives) and affricatesFricativesVowels and approximants

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We will first focus on We will first focus on stopsstops and and fricativesfricatives

which are classified according towhich are classified according to the place in which they are articulated

whether they are voiced or not (vibration of vocal folds)

whether they are oral or nasal (for stops only)

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Places of articulationPlaces of articulation

1. Bilabial (lips)

2. Labio-dental (lips-teeth)

3. Interdental

Dental (teeth)

4. Alveolar ridge

5. Post-alveolar

6. Palatal (palate)

7. Velar (velum)

8. Glottal (glottis)

9. Uvula (uvulum)

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Voicing: A consonant may beVoicing: A consonant may be

Voiced (lenis)Voiceless (fortis)

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A stop is composed of three A stop is composed of three phasesphases

ClosureHold (the passage of air from the lungs is

blocked)Release – the difference in air pressure

between the area behind the closure and the atmosphere results in a small explosion

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The place of articulation is where the The place of articulation is where the passage of air is blockedpassage of air is blocked

At which place of articulation is the block in this diagram?

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The alveolar ridgeThe alveolar ridge

Which sounds are produced by blocking the passage of air at the alveolar ridge?

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/t/ and /d//t/ and /d/

/t/ and /d/ are both produced by blocking the passage of air at the

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Where is the block here?Where is the block here?

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LipsLips

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What consonant sounds are What consonant sounds are produced by blocking the lips?produced by blocking the lips?

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That’s right! /p/, /b/That’s right! /p/, /b/

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Where is the block here?Where is the block here?

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velumvelum

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What consonant sounds are What consonant sounds are produced by blocking the velum?produced by blocking the velum?

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/k/, /g//k/, /g/

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English plosives (stops)English plosives (stops)

/p/ and /b/ are voiceless and voiced bilabials i.e. produced with both lips

/t/ and /d/ are voiceless and voiced alveolars

/k/ and /g/ are voiceless and voiced velars

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What is the difference What is the difference between these two between these two

slides?slides?

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In the first (/b/, /p/) the passage of air to In the first (/b/, /p/) the passage of air to the nose is blocked by the raised velum.the nose is blocked by the raised velum.In the second this passage is open, giving In the second this passage is open, giving us a nasal. What consonant is it?us a nasal. What consonant is it?

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It’s /m/It’s /m/

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Let’s look at other positions – in the alveolar Let’s look at other positions – in the alveolar position we have /t/ and /d/, and the nasal /n/:position we have /t/ and /d/, and the nasal /n/:

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In a similar way at the velum we In a similar way at the velum we have /k/ and /g/, and the nasal /have /k/ and /g/, and the nasal /ŋŋ/:/:

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FricativesFricatives

are created by forming a constriction through which air from the lungs may pass, but not freely.

this lack of freedom causes audible turbulence, or friction, hence the name fricative.

as for stops they may be voiceless or voiced .

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Let’s look at a fricative pair which causes Let’s look at a fricative pair which causes non-native speakers of English a lot of non-native speakers of English a lot of troubletroubleθθ and / and /δδ/:/:

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Air passes through a small gap between Air passes through a small gap between the tongue and the upper teeth causing a the tongue and the upper teeth causing a

low friction sound:low friction sound:

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In the alveolar fricatives /s/ and /z/, the In the alveolar fricatives /s/ and /z/, the friction noise is quite loud, as air hits the friction noise is quite loud, as air hits the

upper teeth causing a hiss.upper teeth causing a hiss.

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What fricative pair is represented here?What fricative pair is represented here?

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That’s right - /f/,and /v/That’s right - /f/,and /v/

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And here?And here?

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This is the post-alveolar pair / ʃThis is the post-alveolar pair / ʃ/ and // and /ƷƷ/. /. Note that a small shift of the tongue from theNote that a small shift of the tongue from the /s/, /z/ position directs the flow of air onto /s/, /z/ position directs the flow of air onto the alveolar ridge.the alveolar ridge.

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AffricatesAffricates

These may be considered as stop + fricative

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An affricate is composed of the following An affricate is composed of the following stagesstages

ClosureHoldA small opening instead of the complete

opening of the stop.This small opening causes friction just like

a fricative

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Affricates - articulationAffricates - articulation

The place of articulation is always the same for both stages

Affricates are always either voiced or unvoiced

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In English we have two In English we have two affricates:affricates:

// church and // GeorgeBoth are realised in the post-alveolar

position

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Here are the two main phases. Here are the two main phases.

1. Hold1. Hold

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2. Release with constriction2. Release with constriction

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Here is the IPA consonant chartHere is the IPA consonant chart

White represents standard British English consonants, light blue possible allophones, and

dark blue exotic consonants

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http://davidbrett.uniss.it/indexhttp://davidbrett.uniss.it/index These slides were produced by David Brett, a phonetics expert

who teaches at the University of Sassari.

CHECKING DESCRIPTION OF CONSONANTS- click on the Index (on the left)- click on “The articulation of speech sounds” - click on “SPEECH ANIMATOR”- click on Close- click on the consonant phonemes to hear the sound and

see the description

THIS EXERCISE IS FOR CHECKING THE DESCRIPTION

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http://davidbrett.uniss.it/indexhttp://davidbrett.uniss.it/index

UNDERSTANDING CONSONANTS click on the Index (on the left) click on “The articulation of speech sounds” click on “Match phonemes with pictures” do the exercises for “Consonants: diagrams, symbols and definitions

Use the CHECK to check your answersUse the KEY to see the right answersUse RESET to do a new exercise

I ALWAYS PUT 5 OF THESE IN YOUR EXAM !!!!

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http://davidbrett.uniss.it/indexhttp://davidbrett.uniss.it/index

DESCRIBING CONSONANTS click on the Index (on the left) click on “The articulation of speech sounds” click on “Articulation description exercise” decide the Voice, Place and Manner of each sound

Use the CHECK to check your answers Use the KEY to see the right answers Use RESET to do a new exercise

THESE EXERCISES WILL HELP YOU A LOT TO PRACTICE FOR YOUR EXAM