Types of Phonemes Consider: lips, tongue, teeth; front-back of the mouth This phonemic chart contains all of the 44 sounds, or phonemes, found in spoken English. t is di!ided into three sections:
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Vowels at Vowels at the top left #o$els are produced $ith the !ocal tract open % air is not constricted or blocked at any point. &or the !o$els, as you mo!e from left to right along the chart 'for e(ample from from )iː) to )uː)*, )*, the tongue moves from the front of the mouth to the back, back, and the lips change progressi!ely from flat to more +-shaped.
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Diphthongs at Diphthongs at the top right /iphthongs are phonemes $ith t$o ad0acent !o$el sounds
3. Consonants A. Blocking of air 1hen a consonant is produced a part of the !ocal tract is closed, constricting or blocking the flow of air . 2ir can be blocked in a number of $ays: •
Plosive sounds Plosive sounds are produced by blocking and then releasing air. Plosi!e sounds are )p), )b), )t), )d), )k) and )k) and )g) )g)..
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Fricative sounds Fricative sounds are produced $hen air is obstructed by friction. &ricati!e sounds are )f )f), ), )!) )!),, )3), )3), )) )),, )s), )s), )5) )5),, ʃ ) ), )ʒ ) and )h) )h)..
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Affricate sounds Affricate sounds are produced $ith a plosi!e follo$ed by a fricati!e . )t ʃ ) is a combination of the plosi!e )t) follo$ed by the fricati!e ) ʃ ); )dʒ) has a similar se6uence of plosi!e and fricati!e.
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1ith nasal sounds, nasal sounds, air has to come through the nasal ca!ity due to a blockage of air at another point in the !ocal tract. )m), )n) and )n) and )7) are all nasal phonemes.
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There is one lateral phoneme, lateral phoneme, )l) )l),, $here air is blocked by the tongue from coming through the centre of the mouth and so has to come along the sides of the tongue. tongue .
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&inally, the liqui phonemes )$), )r) and )0) are all +semi-!o$els, $here air is di!erted around the tongue rather than actually obstructed.
#oiced !s. !oiceless consonants Phones $hich are pronounced $ith the !ocal cords !ibrating are called voiced , and the others are called voiceless. This is illustrated by the difference bet$een the English $ords +!ie$ 8!0u:9 and +fe$ 8f0u:9: the initial segment 'a labiodental fricati!e* is !oiced in the former and !oiceless in the latter. This should be perfectly clear if you put your hand to your throat: you should feel your !ocal cords !ibrating $hen saying +!ie$ $hereas $hen saying +fe$ they start !ibrating only after the f. r, to say things differently: !oiced segments are pronounced $ith a simultaneous +humming sound '!ibration of the cords* $hereas !oiceless segments are pronounced $ithout it. B. Places of articulation Bilabials refer to consonants that are produced using the lips, by narro$ing or closing them. &or e(ample, the sounds usually represented in English by the letters p, b and m are bilabials 'the first t$o are plosi!es, !oiceless and !oiced respecti!ely, and the third is a nasal*. Labiodentals are consonants $hich are formed $ith the upper teeth against the lo$er lip. English has t$o such consonants, 8f9 and 8!9, both being fricati!es; Dentals, alveolars and postalveolars are all made $ith the tongue in the front of the mouth: dentals use the tip of the tongue against the teeth, al!eolars are articulated $ith the tip or blade of the tongue against the al!eolar ridge 'that is, the ridge of the gums of the upper teeth*, and postal!eolars are articulated $ith the tip or blade of the tongue a little behind the ridge. The th sounds of English 'both the +soft, i.e. !oiced, one, and the +hard or !oiceless one* are dental fricati!es. The sounds 8s9, 859 such as found in English for e(ample are al!eolar. The appro(imant r, the fricati!e sh 'as $ell as its !oiced counterpart* and the affricate ch, in English, are all postal!eolar. Retroflex consonants are articulated $ith the tongue
g and ng in the English $ords +key, +get and +ring represent respecti!ely a !oiceless !elar plosi!e, a !oiced !elar plosi!e and a !elar nasal. Uvulars are articulated e!en further back, $ith the !ery back of the tongue coming up to the u!ula 'the u!ula is +that thing $hich hangs do$n at the back of our throats*. There are no u!ular sounds in English Pharyngeals are produced by constricting the pharyn(, $hich is the region e(tending from the u!ula do$n to the laryn( '$here the !ocal cords are found*. 2 strictly pharyngeal sound is produced $ith the root of the tongue, $hereas an epiglottal is made $ith the epiglottis, i.e. that cartilage $hich pre!ents food from entering the trachea $hen one s$allo$s. &inally, glottals or +laryngeals are made at the le!el of the glottis. There are no pharyngeals 'let alone epiglottals* in English, but there are some glottal sounds: the normal h sound is a !oiceless glottal fricati!e, and, although it is not really part of the English phonemic system, one finds some glottal stops 'plosi!es* in certain circumstances in many !arieties of English.