Understanding English Vowel Sounds
VOWELS: A vowel sound is produced when air flows through the vocal cords in the larynx, causing them to vibrate. The sound is then shaped by the tongue and lips, modifying the mouth’s overall shape. The tongue’s position is a key reference point for distinguishing between different vowel sounds.
/iː/ – Long Vowel
Fully spread lips, closed jaw, tongue position: high front, tense sound. The front part of the tongue is raised slightly below and behind the close front position. The lips are spread, the
Read MoreEnglish Phonetics: Pronunciation and Sound Production
Consonant Clusters
Stop + Stop: When one stop consonant is immediately followed by another, as in kept, the closure of the speech organs for the second consonant is made while the closure for the first consonant is still in position. There’s only one explosion for the two stops; the first stop is incomplete. This “missing explosion” happens whenever one stop consonant (except /tʃ/ and /dʒ/) is followed immediately by another, not only at the end of words but also in the middle of words, as in actor,
Read MoreSpeech Sound Production and Classification
Understanding Speech Sounds: Phonetics and Phonology
The Role of the Larynx and Pharynx in Speech
The larynx is situated at the upper extreme of the trachea (windpipe), sheltered by a group of bones and cartilages that can be seen prominently as the “Adam’s apple.” It has two basic functions: a biological one, preventing food or other objects from entering the trachea, and another related to speech production, controlling the passing of the air.
The pharynx is the cavity comprised between the larynx
Read More