Articulatory classification.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 684.

The System of English Phonemes. Consonants

If speech sounds are studied from the point of view of their production by man's

organs of speech, it is the differences and similarities of their articulation that are in the

focus of attention. A speech sound is produced as a result of definite coordinated movements and positions of speech organs, so the articulation of a sound consists of a set of articulatory features.

Grouping speech sounds according to their major articulatory features is called an

According to the specific character of the work of the speech organs, sounds in

practically all the languages are subdivided into two major subtypes: VOWELS (V)and CONSONANTS(C).

There are 1) articulatory, 2) acousticand 3) functionaldifferences between V and C.

1. The most substantial articulatorydifference between vowels and consonants is that in the articulation of V the air passes freely through the mouth cavity, while in making C an obstruction is formed in the mouth cavity and the air flow exhaled from the lungs meets a narrowing or a complete obstruction formed by the speech organs.

2. Consonants articulations are relatively easy to feel, and as a result are most conveniently described in terms of PLACE and MANNER of articulation.

3. Vowels have no place of obstruction, the whole of speech apparatus takes place

in their formation, while the articulation of consonants can be localized, an obstruction or narrowing for each C is made in a definite place of the speech apparatus.

4. The particular quality of Vsdepends on the volume and shape of the mouth

resonator, as well as on the shape and the size of the resonator opening. The mouth resonator is changed by the movements of the tongue and the lips.

5. The particular quality of Csdepends on the kind of noise that results when the tongue or the lips obstruct the air passage. The kind of noise produced depends in its turn on the type of obstruction, on the shape and the type of the narrowing. The vocal cords also determine the quality of consonants.

6. From the acousticpoint of view, vowels are called the sounds of voice, they have high acoustic energy, consonants are the sounds of noise which have low acoustic

energy.

7. Functionaldifferences between Vs and Cs are defined by their role in syllable

formation: Vs are syllable forming elements, Cs are units which function at the margins of syllables, either singly or in clusters.

These differences make it logical to consider each class of sounds independently.

As it follows from the above given considerations, the sounds of a language can be classified in different ways. H. Giegerich [1992], M. Pennington [1996], use a set of basicbinary (two-way) distinctions in terms of: 1) phonation; 2) oro-nasal process; 3) manner of articulation.