LinguisticsLesson 1 of 1 in the course Phonetics

Consonant Place, Articulators, and Secondary Gestures

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 4 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

This lesson introduces place of articulation and explains how speech sounds are produced in the vocal tract. Understanding these foundations helps explain why consonants sound different from one another.

Air from the lungs flows through the trachea, larynx, and pharynx. The diaphragm and other muscles help maintain this airflow. In the larynx, the vocal folds may vibrate, creating sound waves. The shape and position of the lips, jaw, tongue, and soft palate then modify the sound as it passes through the vocal tract. The mouth radiates the sound outward, while the nasal cavity adds resonance to nasal sounds such as [m] and [n].

All flashcards

Place of articulation
The approximate location in the vocal tract where a consonant's constriction is made.
Active and passive articulators
An active articulator moves to create or direct a constriction; a passive articulator is a relatively stationary surface approached or contacted.
Coarticulation
The participation of more than one articulatory gesture in producing a consonant.
Central and lateral consonants
Central consonants direct airflow along the tongue's center; lateral consonants let it escape along one side.
Secondary articulation
A gesture accompanying a consonant's primary constriction, such as lip rounding or raising the tongue body.

Quiz questions

  1. What does it mean for two consonants to be homorganic?Answer: They share the same place of articulation.
  2. How does airflow typically pass during a lateral consonant?Answer: It escapes along one side of the tongue or both sides.
  3. What distinguishes a doubly articulated consonant from one with secondary articulation?Answer: It has two simultaneous primary constrictions made by independently movable articulators.
  4. Which gesture is called labialization?Answer: Adding lip rounding to a consonant's primary articulation.
  5. What happens in a homorganic nasal rule?Answer: A nasal matches the place of a following stop.

Based on the Wikipedia article Place of articulation, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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