This document discusses the human speech mechanism and the articulation of speech sounds. It describes the three main systems involved in speech production: 1) the respiratory system including the lungs and windpipe, 2) the articulatory system including the lips, teeth, tongue, palate and parts of the mouth, and 3) the phonatory system including the larynx, vocal cords and glottis. It explains how voiceless sounds are produced when air passes freely through the open glottis without affecting the vocal cords, while voiced sounds involve vibration of the vocal cords as air passes through the glottis. Pitch and intonation are also briefly discussed in relation to the rate of vibration of the vocal cords.

1. Phonetics: The Articulation of Speech Sounds
Lt. Dr. B. Ajantha Parthasarathi
Assistant Professor of English & Associate NCC Officer
Sri SRNM College, Sattur.

2. Speech mechanism
Phonetics – articulation,
transmission & reception
Organs of our body – 3 groups
Speech Mechanism
Respiratory System
Articulatory System
Phonatory System

3. Respiratory system
Trunk of our body (Neck – Abdomen)
 Lungs – soft bodies situated on either side of our
chest
 Receive oxygen through the 2 bronchi
 Bronchus join the windpipe/ trachea
Inspiration – breathe in – through the windpipe,
the bronchus & the bronchi
Expiration – breathe out – from the lungs goes out
of the lungs through the bronchi into the bronchus,
into the trachea and the outer atmosphere
Expiratory Lung-air – production of a vast
majority of speech sounds used by the languages of
the world

4. Articulatory system
Head & neck – Organs of Speech – Lips, Teeth, Tongue
& Palate
Roof of the Mouth – 4 parts
Teeth Ridge/ Alveolar Ridge
Hard Palate
Soft Palate/ Velum
Uvula
Parts of the Tongue – 6 parts
Tip
Blade
Front
Centre
Back
Root

5. Phonatory System
Throat – Pharynx
Behind the Pharynx – Back wall of the Pharynx
(Adam’s Apple – Larynx – upper part of the
trachea)
Phonatory System – Larynx & Vocal Cords
Vocal Cords (inside the Larynx – Lip like structure)
Glottis
 VC attached at one end & left loose at the other end
 Brought close/ move far away – there is a space

6. Voiceless & Voiced Sounds
Voiceless Sounds
 The air that we breathe in and breathe out passes through the Glottis
 Breathe normally – the vocal cords are moved away from each other – the glottis is wide open
The air that we breathe in/out – goes freely through the wide-open glottis – without affecting/ moving the
vocal cords
The vocal cords are drawn far away from each other & the air passes through the
wide-open glottis, without affecting the VCs.
Voiced Sounds
The air from the lungs passes through the Glottis – the pressure of the air makes them open and close
rapidly
The rapid opening and closing of the VCs – Vibration
Sounds articulated with the VCs vibrating

7. Pitch & intonation
Pitch – the number of times the VCs open & close per
second
VC vibrate slowly – pitch is low
VC vibrate fast – pitch is high
Intonation – the patterns of variation of the pitch of
our voice when we speak/ sing