Page 140 - DENG504_LINGUISTICS

Linguistics

Notes 5. During the articulation of /k/, the back of the tongue makes a firm contact with the soft palate.
The soft palate is raised, thereby shutting off the nasal passage of air. The air that is compressed
by pressure from the lungs, escapes with an explosive sound when the back of the tongue is
released from the soft palate. The vocal cords do not vibrate. /k/ can thus be described as a
voiceless velar plosive.
Spellings: /k/ is represented by:
(i) the letter k as in book.
(ii) the letter c as in cot, music.
(iii) the letters ch as in character.
(iv) the letters ck as in back.
(v) the letters cc as in account.
(vi) the letters que as in cheque.
Distribution: /k/ can occur initially and finally in a word as in calm, (initial), reckon (medial)
and like (final).
Allophonic Variants
(i) /k/ is aspirated when it occurs initially in a stressed syllable, e.g.

''
'
captain v/vkæptin/ [v/k æptin'
h
h
kit /’kit/ [‘k it]
(ii) /k/ is unaspirated after /s/ and in unaccented syllables, e.g.,
skin /skin/ (/k/after/s/)
canal /k næl/ (/k/ in an unaccented syllable)
e
6. /g/ is articulated like /k/ described above except that during the articulation of /g/ the vocal
cords vibrate, producing voice, /g/ can thus be described as a voice velar plosive.
Spellings: /g/ is represented by
(i) the letter g as in get, glory, bag, ago.
(ii) the letters gg as in baggage, luggage.
B: Affricates

An affricate is produced with a complete closure, but the articulators are separated slowly so that
some friction is heard. It is to be remembered that friction heard while articulating an affricate is of
shorter duration than that heard during the articulation of a fricative.
In English there are two affricates, /t /∫ and /dz/. Both are palato-alveo-lar.

1. During the articulation of /t /∫ , the tip and blade of the tongue make a firm contact with the
teeth ridge. Simultaneously, the front of the tongue is raised in the direction of the hard palate.
The soft palate is raised to shut off the nasal passage of air. The tip of the tongue is separated
very slowly from the teeth ridge so that some friction is heard and the sound so produced is
described as a voiceless palato-alveolar affricate.
Spellings: /f /∫ is represented by
(i) the letters ch as in cheap, church
(ii) letters tch as in batch.
(iii) The letter t+ure as in picture.
(iv) the letter t+ion as in question.
Distribution
∫
/t / can occur initally, medially land finally as in chip (initial), butcher (medial) and catch (final).

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