This document provides an introduction to three types of consonant sounds: liquids, affricates, and semi-vowels. It explains that liquids like /l/ and /r/ allow air to exit smoothly from the mouth. Affricates combine a plosive explosion with friction, making /ch/ and /j/ difficult to pronounce. Semi-vowels like /w/ and /y/ are produced similarly to vowels but without a clear beat. The document includes descriptions and examples of how to pronounce each type of sound, as well as learning activities to practice reading words containing these consonants.

1. Languagelab 2.2
Master Consonant Sounds -
Liquid, Affricate and
Semi-vowel

2. Introduction
We know that vowel and consonant sounds
can be grouped together.
Their names tell you how to sound them.
Some of the most common words contain the
sounds we will learn in this topic:
Liquid , Affricate and Semi-vowel.

3. Phonetics
Phonetics is a study of how speech sounds are
produced.
There are five main areas in which phonemes
are produced.
vocal cords 3) teeth
tongue 4) lips
5) palate
For consonant sounds, the teeth, lips and
palate are all used to change the flow of air.

4. Liquid
Liquid is a consonant phoneme made by
closing the mouth passage but allowing air
to exit smoothly.
The liquids are:
/l/ - leg, last 2) /r/ - rest , rock
Refer to Consonant Phoneme Chart in your
Learning Guide for liquid sounds.
Liquid is represented in Orange.

5. Pronouncing Liquid
The liquid gives a feeling of 'water-flow'.
Imagine water gently flowing down (your air)
a river (your mouth) around a big rock (your
tongue). It is smooth-flowing and
unblocked.

6. Learning Activity 1
Read these words related to liquids.
/l/ - logo , let , lonely , lick
/r/ - rain , rope , run , rack
Now read the words quickly from /l/ to /r/
then back.
Do you feel it is more difficult to read /r/
than /l/? For /r/, you need to curl your
tongue and it is easy to pronounce wrongly:
'rain' and 'lain', 'rope' as 'lope' and 'run' as
'lan'.

7. Affricate
Affricates are consonant phonemes made by
plosive (explosion) immediately followed by
a fricative (friction or rubbing action).
The affricates are:
1) /ch/ - chair, chess 2) /j/ - jack, joke
Affricate is represented in violet in the
Consonant Phoneme Chart.
As it is a two-in-one sound, it is, phonetically,
the hardest sound to produce. You need to
push it out (explosion) while closing your
mouth over the air (friction).

8. Pronouncing Affricate
To remember fricative, think 'affricate' as
'plosive' and 'fricative'
As a 2-in-1 sound, it is the most difficult.
Practice this more than other sounds.

9. Learning Activity 2
Read these words related to affricates.
1) /ch/ - chest, chair, child, chill, chili, China,
Chengdu.
2) /j/ - joker, joke, jester, Japan
*/g/ - gem, gin, gym, gyro
*/dge/ - bridge, ledge, ridge, lodge, dodge
*The /j/ sounds are also represented
sometimes by /g/ and /dge/.
Refer to your Learning Guide Consonant
Phoneme Chart.

10. Semi-vowel
Semi-vowel is a consonant phoneme made in
the same way as a vowel but without
producing a beat, hence, the name.
Semi-vowels are found in:
/w/ – work, west, weak, sounds like /oo/
/y/ – yesterday, yes, sounds like LM /ee/
– city, pretty, pity, happy sounds like SM /e/
– fly, try, cry sounds like D /i/
They are represented in the Consonant
Phoneme Chart in blue.

11. Pronouncing Semi-Vowel
To remember Semi-vowel, think of vowel
sounds.

12. Learning Activity 3
Read the following semi-vowels:
w – wicked, water, wonder, way
y – fry, yin-yang, Lenny, yet
Can you hear the vowel sounds they make?

13. Learning Milestone

How do we sound out liquid, affricate and
semim-vowel?

14. Learning Milestone Check
Liquid flows smoothly from our throat out
from our mouth.
Affricate adds explosive to friction sounds.
Semi-vowel acts like a vowel.