The document describes the classification of speech sounds into vowels and consonants, detailing their production and articulation processes. Vowel sounds are categorized by height, backness, tenseness, and rounding, while consonants are classified by voicing, place, and manner of articulation. The text also elaborates on different types of consonants, such as stops, fricatives, nasals, and liquids, providing examples for each category.

1. Sound Description
by Meibis M. González

2. Consonants and vowel sounds are
described in the same way they are
classified. Because of this, the following
information deals with both vowel and
consonant sounds.

3. Vowels and Consonants
• Humans produce speech sounds that are
either vowels or consonants.
• Vowels and consonants have a different form of
obstruction. That is, vowels are relatively
unobstructed in the oral cavity, whereas
consonants are produced with a complete or
partial obstruction of the airstream in
the oral cavity.

4. Organs of Speech

5. Organs of Speech (another
view)

6. Vowel Sounds
• Vowels are classified according to
1. Height
2. Backness
3. Tenseness
4. Rounding
Note: All vowels are voiced

7. Description of Vowel Sounds
1. Height (high, mid, and low)
2. Backness (front, central, and back)
3. Tenseness (tense or lax)
4. Rounding (round or spread-
unround)

8. Vowel Chart
Note: the “schwa” sound is located as low central for
some authors. Also, the /a/ sound is located as low back
for some authors

9. Consonant Sounds
• They are classified according to
1. Voicing (voiced- voiceless)
2. Place of Articulation
3. Manner of Articulation
Important:
They are described following the
same
order above.

10. Place of Articulation
1. Bilabials
2. Labiodentals
3. Interdental
4. Alveolars
5. Alveo-palatals ****
6. Palatals
7. Velars
8. Glottals

12. Manner of Articulation
• It refers to how the sound is produced and
the way in which the airstream is modified
as it passes through the vocal track

13. Manner of Articulation
1. Stops
2. Fricatives
3. Affricates
4. Sibilants
5. Sonorants and Obstruents
6. Liquids
7. Nasals
8. Glides

14. Stops
• In producing them, the air is stopped in the
mouth and then released immediately.
– They can be: (voiceless, voiced)
Bilabial Stops /p/, /b/
• Alveolar Stops /t/, /d/
• Velar Stops /k/, /g/

15. Fricatives
• Sounds produced by allowing the air
to pass through a small passage,
thereby producing friction.

16. Fricatives
• They are classified as:
– Labio-dental fricative /f/ /v/
– -Inter-dental fricative / / / /
- Glottal fricative /h/
- Alveolar fricative /s/ /z/
-Palatal fricatives / / /

17. Africates
It has both a stop and a fricative manner of
production. The two sounds are produced so
rapidly that they are heard as a unit.
The two sounds in this category are:
alveo-palatal sounds / / and / /
The first sound is voiceless
The second sound is voiced

18. Nasals
• The velum is lowered so that sounds pass
through the nose rather than through the
mouth. The oral cavity is completely closed.
All nasals are voiced.
• They are divided as
–1. Bilabial Nasal /m/
–2. Alveolar Nasal /n/
–3. Velar Nasal / /

19. Liquids
• The alveolar lateral /l/ is produced by pressing
the tongue against the alveolar ridge and letting
the sound pass through the sides of the tongue.

20. Retroflex
•The retroflex /r/ is produced by letting the
sound pass between the hard palate and
the slightly rolled tip of the tongue

21. Semivowels or Glides
It is characterized by a continued, gliding motion
of the articulators into the following vowel. They
are also considered as semi-vowels
Bilabial Glide /w/
Palatal Glide / j /

22. Consonant Chart

23. • Important:
• Alveolo-palatal (or alveo-palatal) which have
simultaneous alveolar and palatal articulation.
• In the official IPA chart, alveo-palatals would
appear between the alveolar
and palatal consonants

24. For instance, in describing /l/, the
feature lateral is enough to
describe this sound because /l/
is the only lateral sound
existing in English
When describing a sound
or a group of sounds, you
should only include the
features that are required to
describe that particular sound
or that particular group of
sounds