This document describes the six main manners of articulation in phonology: plosive, nasal, fricative, affricative, lateral, and approximant. It provides details on three types of plosive sounds - bilabial (/p/ and /b/), alveolar (/t/ and /d/), and velar (/k/ and /g/). It also discusses the three nasal sounds - bilabial (/m/), alveolar (/n/), and velar (/ŋ/). For each sound, it outlines the place and manner of articulation, distinctive features, occurrences, and spelling forms.

1. Manners of Articulation
• The type of closure or narrowing at the point of
articulation.
• There are six kinds of manner of articulation:
1. Plosive
2. Nasal
3. Fricative
4. Affricative
5. Lateral
6. Approximant/glide

2. 1. PLOSIVE
• Complete closure of the articulators involved
so that the airstream cannot escape through
either the mouth or nose.
• There are three types of plosive:
1. Bilabial plosive (/p/ and /b/)
2. Alveolar plosive (/t/ and /d/)
3. Velar plosive (/k/ and /g/)

3. 1.1. Bilabial Plosive (/p/ and /b/)
The lower lips are pressed together and the soft
palate are raised, so the breath cannot escape
through either the nose or mouth for a short
time. In short, the sounds cannot be prolonged.

4. Descriptions of /p/
• distinctive features
/ p / is consonantal, anterior, voiceless, bilabial, stop.
• pronunciation
When we pronounce / p /, the air passage is completely blocked by
closing the lips and raising the soft palate. When the lips are open,
the air suddenly escapes from the mouth with an exclusive sound.
There is no any vibration in the cords. When it is followed by a
strongly stressed vowel, / p / is regularly aspirated.
• occurrences
/ p / occurs initially, medially and finally.
• spelling forms
p, pp pen , spoon, stop, happy, opportunity.

5. Descriptions of /b/
• distinctive features
/b / is consonantal, anterior, voice, bilabial, stop.
• pronunciation
When we pronounce / b/, we do it like when we pronounce
/p /, except that in / b / there is a vibration in the vocal
cords.
• occurrences
/ b / occurs initially, medially and finally.
• spelling forms
b, bb big, banana, rubber, labor, rib, ebb, bulb.
• Notice: / b/ is silent in limb, thumb, comb, etc. and in debt,
subtle, doubt.

6. 1.1. Bilabial Plosive (/p/ and /b/)

7. 1.2. Alveolar Plosive (/t/ and /d/)
• The tongue tip is firmly against the middle of
alveolar ridge. The soft palate is raised, so the
breath cannot escape through either the nose
or mouth but it is trapped for a short time.
The sounds cannot be prolonged.

8. Descriptions of /t/
• distinctive features
/ t / is consonantal, anterior, coronal, voiceless, alveolar, stop.
• pronunciation
When we pronounce / t /, the air passage is completely blocked by
raising the soft palate and raising the tip of the tongue to touch the
teeth ridge. When the tongue is removed from the teeth ridge the air
suddenly escapes from the mouth with an explosive sound. There is no
vibration in the vocal cords. It is regularly aspirated before a strongly
stressed vowel.
• occurrences
/ t / occurs initially, medially and finally.
• spelling forms
t, tt time, wait, waited, admitted
th themes, Thomas
ed in verbal past tenses and participles after voiceless consonants
other than / t / - jumped, looked, laughed, guessed, pushed, etc.
• Notice: / t / is silent in castle, Christmas, etc.

9. Descriptions of /d/
• distinctive features
/ d / is consonantal, anterior, coronal, voice, alveolar, stop.
• pronunciation
When we pronounce / d /, it is articulated like / t /, except
that the breath force is weaker and vocal cords vibrate.
• occurrences
/ d / occurs initially, medially and finally.
• spelling forms
d, dd do, dog, leader, order, middle, bid, mad,
sudden, admit

10. 1.2. Alveolar Plosive (/t/ and /d/)

11. 1.3. Velar Plosive (/k/ and /g/)
• The back of the tongue is pressed in the area
of soft palate. The soft palate is raised and the
breath is trapped for a short time. The sounds
cannot be prolonged.

12. Descriptions of /k/
• distinctive features
/ k / is consonantal, high, back, voiceless, velar, stop.
• pronunciation
• When we pronounce the phoneme / k /, the air passage is
completely blocked by raising the soft palate and raising the
back of the tongue to touch the palate. When the tongue is
lowered from the soft palate the air escapes through the
mouth with an explosive sound. There is no vibration in the
vocal cords.
• spelling forms
k, c, cc+o,u kind, accord, accuse, secret, skin
qu, ch conquer, stomach, chemist, anchor
• Notice: the silent c or k in muscle, know, knit

13. Descriptions of /g/
• distinctive features
/ g / is consonantal, high, back, voice, velar, stop.
• pronunciation
When we pronounce / g /, it is articulated like /k /, except
that the breath force is weaker and the vocal cords vibrate.
• occurrences
/ g / occurs initially, medially and finally.
• spelling forms
g, gg go, geese, girl, dogma, begged, struggle.
gh, gu ghost, guard
• Notice: / g / is silent in gnaw, gnat, diaphragm, sign, etc.

14. 1.3. Velar Plosive (/k/ and /g/)

15. 2. Nasal (Nasal Stop)
• It is produced with a lowered velum in the
mouth, allowing the air to escape freely
through the nose.
• There are three types of nasal
1. Bilabial nasal (/m/)
2. Alveolar nasal (/n/)
3. Velar nasal (/ƞ/)

16. 2.1. Bilabial nasal (/m/)
• The mouth is blocked by closing the two lips.
The soft palate is down, so the air escapes
through the nose.

17. Descriptions of /m/
• distinctive features
/ m / is consonantal, nasal, anterior, voice, sonorant, bilabial.
• pronunciation
When we pronounce / m /, the mouth passage is completely
blocked by closing the lips, but the soft palate is lowered so that the
air can pass through the nose. The tongue is held in a neutral
position. The vocal cords vibrate.
• ccurrences
/ m / occurs initially, medially and finally.
• spelling forms
m, mm, sometimes with – mb, mn meal, mat, march, lamb,
harmed, autumn

18. 2.1. Bilabial nasal (/m/)

19. 2.2. Alveolar nasal (/n/)
• It is produced by pressing the tongue tip
against the alveolar ridge. The soft palate is
down, so the air escapes through the nose.

20. Descriptions of /n/
• distinctive features
/ n / is consonantal, nasal, anterior, coronal, voice, sonorant
and alveolar.
When we pronounce / n /, the mouth passage is
completely blocked by raising the tip of the tongue to touch
the teeth ridge. The soft palate is lowered so that the air
can pass through the nose. the vocal cords vibrate.
• occurrences :
/ n / occurs initially, medially and finally.
• spelling forms
n, nn, or kn, gn, pn – neat, knit, gnaw, knot, gnaw, name,
know, manner, dinner, many, pneumonia,

21. 2.2. Alveolar nasal (/n/)

22. 2.3. Velar nasal (/ƞ/)
• The mouth is blocked by the back of the
tongue and against the lowered soft palate, so
the air escapes through the nose.

23. Descriptions of /ƞ/
• distinctive features
• / ƞ / is consonantal, nasal, high, back, voice, sonorant, velar.
• pronunciation
When we pronounce / ƞ /, the passage is completely
blocked by raising the back of the tongue to touch the soft
palate, the soft palate is lowered so that the air can pass
through the nose. There is vibration in the vocal cords.
• occurrences:
medially and finally.
• spelling forms
ng, or – n followed by a letter indicating a velar consonant,
sing, tongue, sink, uncle, anxious, singer, finger, anger.

24. 2.3. Velar nasal (/ƞ/)