The place of articulation.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 441.

The place of articulation is determined by the active organ of speech against the point of articulation. There may be one place of articulation or focus, or two places of articulation or focus when active organs of speech contact with two points of articulation. In the first case consonants are called unicentral,in the second they are bicentral.

According to the position of the active organ of speech against the point of articulation (i.e. the place of articulation) consonants may be:

1. Labial;

2. Lingual;

3. Glottal;

Labial consonantsare made by the lips. They may be bilabial and labio-dental.Bilabial consonants are produced when both lips are active. Labio-dental consonants are articulated with the lower lip against the edge of the upper teeth.

Lingual consonantsare classified into forelingual, mediolingual and backlingual.

Forelingualconsonants are articulated with the tip of the blade of the tongue. They differ in the position of the tip of the tongue. According to its work they may be: apical,if the tip of the tongue is active;

dorsal,if the blade of the tongue takes part in the articulation, the tip being passive and lowered;

cacuminal,if the tip of the tongue is at the back part of the teeth ridge, but a depression is formed in the blade of the tongue;

According to the place of obstruction forelingual consonants may be:

interdental;

dental;

alveolar;

post-alveolar;