speech organs

2. B. Transcribe the following sentences
Campers: Nature's way of feeding mosquitoes.
Why is "abbreviation" such a long word?
I took an IQ test and the results were negative.
I used to think I was indecisive, but now I'm not sure.
C. Read the following
1. ˈtiːtʃə: ˈwɒt də ju kɔːl ə ˈpɜːsən huː kiːps ɒn ˈtɔːkɪŋ wen ˈpiːpəl ə
nəʊ ˈlɒŋɡər ˈɪntrəstɪd |
ˈstjuːdnt: ə ˈtiːtʃə
2. dæd : sʌn, ju ˈbetə pɑːs ðɪs ɪɡˈzæm ɔː ˈrɑːðə fəˈɡet ðət ˈaɪ əm jə
ˈfɑːðə
sʌn: ʃʊə dæd. wɒtˈevə
faɪv ˈaʊəz ˈleɪtə
dæd: haʊz jər ɪɡˈzæm
sʌn: huː ðə hel ə ju

3. LECTURE 1
1. Phonetics vs. Phonology
2. Speech Organs
3. How are speech sounds produced?
4. Consonants vs. Vowels
5. Basic Concepts & Definitions

4. Phonetics
• The study of human speech
sounds
• Describes how sounds are
produced (articulatory
phonetics)
Phonology
• The study of how sounds
are organised and used in
natural languages
• Studies how these sounds
combine and how they
change in combination

5. A. Nasal cavity
B. Vocal cords
C. Tongue root
D. Lips – labial
E. Tongue tip
F. Pharynx – pharyngeal
G. Oral cavity
H. Tongue back
I. Teeth – dental
J. Tongue blade
K. Hard Palate – palatal
L. Tongue front
M. Alveolar ridge – alveolar
N. Uvula – uvular
O. Velum – Velar (solf
palate)
P. Larynx
Q. Nostrils
R. Glottis
S. Epiglottis

6. 1. L. Alveolar ridge – alveolar
2. A. Nostrils
3. D. Lips – labial
4. A. Nasal cavity
5. G. Oral cavity
6. I. Teeth – dental
7. K. Hard Palate – palatal
8. J.Tongue tip
E. Tongue blade
L. Tongue front
H Tongue back
C. Tongue root
9. B. Vocal cords
10. F. Pharynx – pharyngeal
11. R. Glottis
12. O. Velum – Velar (solf palate)
13. N. Uvula
14. S. Epiglottis
15. P. Larynx

7. Classification of articulators
• Passive
articulators:
make little or
no movement
• Active
articulators:
move towards
passive
articulators
Upper lip
Lower lip
Upper front teeth
Tongue tip
Tongue blade
Tongue front
Tongue back
Tongue root
Alveolar ridge
Hard palate
Soft palate

8. Classification of articulators
• Passive
articulators:
make little or
no movement
• Active
articulators:
move towards
passive
articulators
Alveolar ridge
Hard palate
Soft palate
Upper front teeth
Upper lip
Lower lip
Tongue tip
Tongue blade
Tongue front
Tongue back
Tongue root

9. HOW ARE SPEECH SOUNDS PRODUCED?
• Air comes up from lungs
• Then it goes through the vocal cords
into the pharynx
• It may go through the oral cavity (if
the soft palate is raised) or the nasal
cavity (if the soft palate is lowered)
• Vocal cords either vibrate or not as
air comes out.
• As air goes out, various articulators
assume different positions to make
different vowel and consonant
sounds

10. THE VOCAL CORDS
• Vocal cords are
pressed together,
so they vibrate
• Vocal cords are
pulled apart, so
they do not vibrate

11. The glottis

12. THE PHARYNX
• A tube which begins just
above the larynx. It is behind
the tongue and reaches up
towards the nasal cavity.
• At its top the pharynx is
divided into two: the back of
the mouth & the beginning
of the way through nasal
cavity.

13. THE PALATE
The palate forms the roof of the mouth & separates the mouth cavity from the
nasal cavity.
The hard palate: the highest part of the palate, between the alveolar ridge & the
beginning of the soft palate.
The soft palate: can be raised or lowered.

14. POSITIONS OF THE SOFT PALATE
The soft palate is
raised
The soft palate is
lowered

15. SPEECH ORGANS (cont.)
The alveolar ridge: between top front teeth & the hard
palate (the part of the gums immediately behind the
upper front teeth)
The tongue: an important articulator & can be moved
into many different places & different shapes.
The teeth: at the front of the mouth, immediately behind
the lips.
The lips: important in speech: can be pressed together;
the lower lip can be drawn inward & slightly upwards to
touch the upper front teeth; or they can be kept apart
either flat or with different amounts of rounding.

16. The Tongue

17. HOW ARE SPEECH SOUNDS PRODUCED?
1. How are oral sound produced?
In the process of making
sounds, at the uvula if the soft
palate is raised, blocking off the
nasal tract, the airstream can
only go into oral cavity and go
out of the mouth, then we have
oral sounds.
e.g. /g/,/s/,//
2. How are nasal sounds
produced?
In the process of making
sounds, if the air-stream is
blocked somewhere in the oral
cavity but the soft palate is
lowered so that air-stream can
get into the nasal tract and get
out through the nostrils, then
we have nasal sounds.
e.g. /m/, /n/, /ŋ/

18. HOW ARE SPEECH SOUNDS PRODUCED?
5. How are voiced sounds produced?
When we are producing sounds, the air-stream goes through
the vocal cords. If the vocal cords come together, obstructing
the air-stream, the air-stream cannot get out through them
freely and it makes them vibrate, then we have voiced sounds.
e.g. /d/, /v/, /m/
6. Howare voiceless sounds produced?
When we are making sounds, the air-stream goes through the
vocal cords. If the vocal cords come apart, they are open. The
air-stream can go out through them freely and it does not
make them vibrate, then we have voiceless sounds.
e.g. /s/, /t/, /∫/

19. ENGLISH SOUND SYSTEM
17-Oct-14
24
consonants
20 vowels
44
phonemes

20. HOW ARE SPEECH SOUNDS PRODUCED?
3. How are consonant sounds produced?
When we are making sounds, it two articulators come together,
obstructing the air-stream and the air-stream cannot get out
freely, we have consonant sounds.
e.g. /k/, /f/, /b/, /m/
4. How are vowel sounds produced?
When we are making sounds, if there is no obstruction to the
flow of air as it passes from the larynx to the lips and the air can
get out freely, the we have vowel sounds.
e.g. /…./, /з/, /æ/, /I/

21. exercises
1. Give the terms corresponding to the definitions
- The top, curved horizonal airspace of the vocal
tract:
- A short flat stretch just above and behind the
upper teeth:
- Airspace of the vocal tract between uvula and the
larynx:
- The hard, bony surface of the roof of the mouth:
- Non-bony roof part of the roof of the mouth
behind the hard palate:
- The two bands or folds inside the larynx:

22. Why 2 types: Consonant (C) &
Vowel (V)
Consonant (C) Vowel (V)
17-Oct-14

23. Why 2 types: Consonant (C) &
Vowel (V)
Consonant (C)
• Most easily described in
terms of articulation,
since we can generally
feel the CONTACTS AND
MOVEMENTS involved.
• Produced with/without
vibration of the vocal
cords
• Have a noise component
in the acoustic sense
Vowel (V)
• Most easily described in
terms of auditory
relationships since there
are NO CONTACTS OR
STRITURE that we can
feel with any precision.
The air goes out freely.
• Generally voiced
• Have no noise
component
17-Oct-14

24. Guess it!
 Look at the pattern of the words and give a word
with that pattern.
 CV
 CVC
 V
 VC
 CVCC
 CCVCC
 C??
 In English language, C/V is the core of a word?
17-Oct-14

25. Questions for the next session
• What are consonants?
• How are consonants in English described
and classified?