This document discusses phonological features that distinguish speech sounds. It focuses on three major features: [±consonantal], [±continuant], and [±sonorant]. Segments are classified based on whether they involve obstruction of airflow ([consonantal]), a brief stop in airflow ([continuant]), or loudness of sound ([sonorant]). Vowels are [-consonantal] while consonants vary on the other features. Consonants can be grouped into classes like obstruents, nasals, and approximants depending on which features they share. Precise use of these features allows for distinguishing phonemes and allophones.

1. By :
GROUP II
Reka Maulidina Mega Sofia
Muh. Sigit Pratama Muh. Sigit
Sitti Meydhianty Nurmila
Muchlas Abrar Harry M. Yafid M
Chairunnisyah

2. Phonological features are coordinated
articulary activities with which speech
sounds are produced. Features are called
distinctive because the presence of a
feature in one segment may differentiate
the segment from other segments, which in
turn causes different meanings. Features are
needed at the phonemic and phonetic levels
to give a precise description of the
difference among phonemes and allophones.

3. One of the very basic separating lines among
segments is the presence of audible obstruction on
the airflow at the time a segment is uttered.
The segment will be a vowel, if a segment is
uttered without audible obstruction or
impediment on the airflow.
The segment will be a consonant, if a segment is
uttered with audible obstruction on the airflow.
The obstruction of airflow is the basic phonetic
characteristic of consonants. This is stated in a
feature called [±consonantal]. Giegerich (1992:92)
states : “Consonantal sounds are produced with a
radical obstruction in the vocal tract.”

4. All vowel segments are [-consonantal],
and all consonant segments, except glides are
[+consonantal]. Glides /w/ and /y/ are called
[-consonantal] because they are produced with
a relatively very low degree of airflow
obstruction in the vocal tract.
The second major class feature that
separates classes of segments is the way the
airflow moves out of the oral cavity. The
airflow characteristic is labeled [±continuant].
If the airflow moves out after making a brief
stop due to closure of articulators, the
resulting segments will be called [-continuant].

5. If the airflow moves out without
making a briefstop because the
narrow is opening, the resulting
consonants will be [+continuant].
Giegerich (1992:93) defines a
continuant as “a sound during whose
production the air stream is not
blocked in the oral cavity.”
The third major phonetic
characteristic that is used to classify
speech sounds is sonority, and the
feature is called [±sonorant]. Sonority
is roughly defined as the loudness or
the audibility of segments. Giegerich

6. CONSONANTAL CONTINUANT SONORANT
STOPS + _ _
FRICATIVES + + _
NASALS + _ +
LIQUIDS + + +
GLIDES _ + +

7. Please note that affricates are phonetically very
similar to stops. Similarly, liquids and glides are usually
called approximant due to the major features they share,
[+continuant] and [+sonorant]. Likewise, stops and
fricatives are called obstruents because they both are [-
sonorant].
THE GROUPING OF CONSONANTS BASED ON FEATURES
THEY SHARE
GROUP CLASS MEMBER SHARED FEATURES
OBSTRUENTS
STOPS
FRICATIVES
[-sonorant]
NASALS NASALS
[+sonorant,
-continuant]
APPROXIMANTS
LIQUIDS
GLIDES
[+continuant]
[+sonorant]

8. If we group the consonants based on the two major features
[sonorant] and [continuant] they share, we will have the
following grouping.
The grouping of consonants based on the two major
features
SHARED
FEATURE
CLASS OF
SOUND
SHARED
FEATURES
CLASS OF
SOUND
[+sonorant] Nasals
Approximants
[+sonorant,
+continuant] Approximants
[-sonorant] Stops
Fricatives
[+sonorant, -
continuant] Nasals
[+continuant] Fricatives
Approximants
[-sonorant,
+continuant] Fricatives
[-continuant] Stops
Nasals
[-sonorant, -
continuant] Stops