The document describes nasals in English phonetic. There are three types of nasals: bilabial nasal /m/, alveolar nasal /n/, and velar nasal /ŋ/. It discusses their articulation points, allophones, spelling, and occurrence in words. For example, /m/ is articulated with both lips closed and the soft palate lowered, allowing air to escape through the nose. It can occur initially, medially, and finally in words like "mad", "gemstones", and "comb". The document concludes with an overview of the discussion of nasals in English.

1. Zainab Ansar
B.A.(hons.) 5 Semester
English Language Teaching
18-ETM-27
Gh9230
PRESENTATION
GENERAL AND ENGLISH PHONETIC-A

2. A DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF
NASAL IN ENGLISH

3. FACTORS
Air stream mechanism Pulmonic Egressive Air-Stream
Mechanism
State of glottis
Voiced
Active articulator Lower lip, tip of the tongue, back
of the tongue
Passive articulator
Upper lip, teeth ridge, velum
State of the soft palate
Soft palate is lowered
Stricture
Complete oral closure

4. Oral passage is
closed
completely
either by
shutting the two
lips firmly or by
making a firm
contact
between some
part of the
tongue and
corresponding
parts of the roof
of the mouth.
So, the air from
the lungs can
escape only
through the
nose.

5. DEFINITION
A nasal consonant is a type of consonant
produced with a lowered velum in the mouth,
allowing air to come out through the nose, while
the air is not allowed to pass through the mouth
because something (like the tongue or the lips) is
stopping it.

6. TYPES OF NASALS IN ENGLISH
 There are 3 types of nasals:
1. Bilabial nasal
Example- / m /
2. Alveolar nasal
Example- / n /
3. Velar nasal
Example- / ŋ /

7. BILABIAL NASAL
 Articulation
 A closure of oral passage
is formed at the lips.
 Soft palate is lowered.
 The vocal cords vibrate.
 Three- term description
of /m/ is a VOICED
BILABIAL NASAL
/m/

8.  Spelling
/m/ is regularly spelt m and mm
Example-
mad / mad / ; sum / sΛm /
summer / sΛm∂ / ; dimmer / dIm∂ /
Other spellings :
If letter M is followed by B or N then the sound of
both the letters is silent.
Example-
climb / klΛIm /
damn / dam /
When juxtaposing m and n are assigned to two
different syllables neither of them is silent.
Example-
autumnal / :tΛmn∂l / ; damnable /dæmn∂bl /
c

9.  Allophones of /m/
 Labio-dental /m/
If /m/ is followed by labio dental / f , v /
Example-
comfort , nymph , come, etc.
 Partially devoiced /m/
/m/ is partially devoiced when /s/ preceded it.
Example-
small, smooth, science master
 Syllabic /m/
The words like Rhythm and Prism if pronounced
without vowel / ∂ / in the second syllable.

10.  Occurrence of /m/
/m/ may occurs in all three positions in a word.
Example-
Initial : mango
Medial : gemstones
Final : comb

11. ALVEOLAR NASAL
 Articulation
 Oral closure is formed in
the mouth between the
tip/ rim of the tongue and
teeth ridge.
 Soft palate is lowered.
 Position of the lips
depend on the adjacent
vowel.
 Vocal cords vibrates.
 Three- term description
of /n/ is Voiced Alveolar
Nasal.
/n/

12.  Spelling
 /n/ regularly spelt with n and nn
Example-
Honey / hΛni / ; Ant /ant/
 Other spellings
 When juxtaposing G and N or K and N belongs to two
different syllables g and k are not silent.
Example-
Signal /sIgn 𝜕l ; acknowledge / 𝜕knÞlIdՅ /
If letter M is preceded by G,K or P then the sound of
both the letters is silent.
Example-
gnat / nat /
know / n∂ /
pneumatic / nju:matIk /
Ω

13.  Allophones of /n/
 Labio dental /n/
When /n/ is immediately followed by /f,v/
Example-
infant, in view, invite
 Dental /n/
When /n/ is followed by / ð, θ /
Example-
month, on them, tenth
 Post – Alveolar /n/
When /n/ is followed by /r/
Example-
unrest, enrol, sunrise

14.  Allophones of /n/
 Partially devoiced /n/
When /n/ is preceded by /s/ or /t/
Example-
snow, cotton, mutton
 Syllabic /n/
/n/ becomes syllabic in words like :
cotton, listen, vision

15.  Occurrence of /n/
/n/ may occurs in all three positions in a word.
Example-
Initial : nails
Medial : ginger
Final : button

16. VELAR NASAL
 Articulation
 Oral closure is formed
between the back of the
tongue and the velum.
 Soft palate is lowered.
 Lip position will depend
on the preceding vowel.
 Vocal cords vibrates.
 Three term discription
of / ŋ / is VOICED
VELAR NASAL.
/ŋ/

17.  Allophones of /ŋ/
 There are no allophonic variants of /ŋ/.
 Syllabic /ŋ/
Although occasionally a syllabic /ŋ/ may occur
in the final position where /∂n/ is generally
expected in words.
Example-
bacon, organ

18.  Occurrence
/ŋ/ cannot occur at initial position but may occur
in the middle and final position in a word.
Example-
Medial : finger
Final : ring

19. CONCLUSION
In this session we discussed about the nasals in
English in detail like :
 What are nasals?
 What are the factors which describes nasals?
 Types of nasals- voiced bilabial nasal /m/, voiced
alveolar nasal /n/ and voiced velar nasal /ŋ/.
 Their allophones occurrence and examples.