The pulmonic airstream mechanism is an airstream mechanism that is initiated in the lungs (diaphragm) and may be voiced or voiceless. Examples include p, b, t, d, k, and g. The glottalic airstream mechanism refers to an airstream mechanism that is initiated by the action of the glottis. \

1. A Study Of English Language & Phonetics
Air-Stream Mechanism

2. My Personal Information
• Matushri Ratanben Ramjibhai Monpara Arts College,
SPEI , Bhavnagar
• Name : Kevadiya Riddhi M.
• Roll No. : 13
• Enrollment No. : 3176205820210068
• Subject name: A Study Of English Language & Phonetics
• Topic : Air-Stream Mechanism
• Paper no. : 16
• B.A. Semester : 05
• Email : riddhikevadiya21@gmail.com
• Batch : 2021 - 2024
• Submitted To: Matushri R. R. Monpara Arts College, SPEI, Bhavnagar

3. Table Of Contents :
• Introduction
• Three Main Air-Stream
Mechanism:
• Pulmonic Air-Stream Mechanism
• Velaric Air-Stream Mechanism
• Glottalic Air-Stream Mechanism
• Conclusion

4. Introduction :
• The airstream mechanism refers to the process by
which the vocal tract creates airflow. There is no
production of sound in the absence of airstream
mechanics.
• This is owing to the fact that this mechanism is
compulsory for the initiation of sound production – the
first part of the process of sound production.
• There are organs that are capable of generating the
airstream, and they are referred to as initiators.

5. Three Main Air-Stream Mechanism :
Air-Stream
Mechanism
Pulmonic
Velaric
Glottalic
Egressive
Egressive
Ingressive
Ingressive

6. Pulmonic Air-Stream Mechanism :
• Initiation by means of the lungs (actually the
diaphragm and ribs) is
called pulmonic initiation. The vast majority of
sounds used in human languages
are pulmonic egressives.
• In most languages, including all the languages
of Europe (excluding the Caucasus),
all phonemes are pulmonic egressives.
• The only attested use of a phonemic pulmonic
ingressive is a lateral fricative in Damin, a ritual
language formerly used by speakers
of Lardil in Australia.

7. Velaric Air-Stream Mechanism :
• The third form of initiation in human language
is lingual or velaric initiation, where a sound is
produced by a closure at two places of articulation, and
the airstream is formed by movement of the body of the
tongue.
• Lingual stops are more commonly known as clicks, and
are almost universally ingressive. The word lingual is
derived from Latin lingua, which means tongue.
• To produce a lingual ingressive airstream, first close the
vocal tract at two places: at the back of the tongue, as in
a velar or uvular stop, and simultaneously with the
front of the tongue or the lips, as in
a coronal or bilabial stop.

8. Glottalic Air-Stream Mechanism :
• It is possible to initiate airflow in the upper
vocal tract by means of the vocal cords
or glottis. This is known as glottalic initiation.
• For egressive glottalic initiation, one lowers the
glottis (as if to sing a low note), closes it as for
a glottal stop, and then raises it, building up
pressure in the oral cavity and upper trachea.
• Glottalic egressives are called ejectives. The
glottis must be fully closed to form glottalic
egressives, or the air column would flow
backwards over it; it is therefore impossible to
pronounce voiced ejectives.

9. Conclusion :
•In phonetics, the airstream mechanism
is the method by which airflow is
created in the vocal tract. Along with
phonation and articulation, it is one of
three main components of speech
production.