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Unit 5: Classification of Speech Sounds: Vowels, Consonants-General Introduction

The stricture may be such that air passes between the active and passive articulators intermittently. Notes
Such a stricture is called intermittent closure, and involves the vibration of the active articulator
against the passive. The Scottish /r/ as in rat is an example. The intermittent closure may be of
such a short duration that the active articulator strikes against the passive articulator once only.
The English /r/ in the word very is an example; the tip of the tongue (active articulator) makes
one tap against the teeth-ridge (passive articulator).
In the partial stricture, the air passes between the active and passive articulators continuously, but
with some difficulty. The sounds thus produced are clear /l/ and dark /l/ in late, and hill, the
clear and the dark ‘l’ respectively.
And lastly, the stricture may be such that the air, while passing between the active and passive
articulators, produces audible friction. /f,v, θ , ð, s, z, f, ¥, h/ in English are examples of this kind of
stricture. Or the air may pass without friction. Examples are/w/in wet, /j/in yes and flap /r/ as in
butter. A stricture which involves audible friction, can be called a stricture of close approximation,
whereas one which involves no such friction can be called a stricture of open approximation.
If we are to describe some of the consonant sounds in terms of the points discussed in the preceding
paragraphs, we shall do that in the following manner (we shall not make any reference to the air-
stream mechanism since we have already mentioned that all English sounds are made with a
pulmonic egressive air-stream):
1. /p/ in the English word pack.
(i) The vocal cords are held apart and the sound is voiceless.
(ii) The soft palate is raised and the nasal passage is closed.
(iii) The active articulator is the lower lip.
(iv) The passive articulator is the upper lip.
(v) There is a stricture of complete closure.
2. /b/ in the English word back.
(i) The vocal cords vibrate, and the sound produced is voiced.
(ii) The soft palate is raised and the nasal passage is closed.
(iii) The active articulator is the lower lip.
(iv) The passive articulator is the upper lip.
(v) There is a stricture of complete closure.
3. /g/ in the English word god.
(i) The vocal cords vibrate, and the sound produced is voiced.
(ii) The soft palate is raised and the nasal passive is closed.
(iii) The active articulator is the back of the tongue.
(iv) The passive articulator is the soft palate.
(v) There is a stricture of complete closure; the back of the tongue makes a complete closure
with the soft palate.
4. /t/ in the English words cat.
(i) The vocal cords are wide apart, and the sound is voiceless.
(ii) The soft palate is raised and the nasal passage is closed.
(iii) The active articulator is the tip of the tongue.
(iv) The passive articulator is the teeth ridge.
(v) There is a stricture of complete closure. The tip of the tongue makes a firm contact with
the teeth ridge.

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