Phonetics is the study of speech sounds, including how they are produced, their physical properties, and how they are perceived. It has three main branches: articulatory phonetics examines sound production, acoustic phonetics studies the physical properties of sounds, and auditory phonetics looks at sound perception. English has around 25 consonant sounds that vary in voicing, place of articulation in the mouth, and manner of production. It also has 12 vowel sounds that differ in tongue height, tongue position in the mouth, and mouth shape. There are also 8 English diphthongs, which are combinations of two vowel sounds in one syllable.

1. PHONETICS
Khazriyati Salehuddin
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2. Definition
• The study of the nature, production, and perception of
sounds of speech (Matthews 2014, p. 300) (M: 300)
• The general study of the characteristics of speech sounds
(Yule 2019, p. 28) (Y: 28)
• The ways speech sounds are produced, their nature, how
they are perceived (McGregor 2017, p. 4) (Mc: 4)
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3. Branch of Phonetics
Articulatory Phonetics
• How speech sounds are made / articulated
Acoustic Phonetics
• The physical properties of speech as sound waves in the air
Auditory (Perceptual) Phonetics
• The perception, via the ear, of speech sounds
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4. Knowing a language means
Knowing its Sound System
• “splash”, “sprechen”
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/p/, /b/, /m/, /w/, /f/, /v/, /θ/, /ð/, /t/, /d/, /s/, /z/, /r/,
/l/, /n/, /j/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/, /dʒ/, /k/, /ɡ/, /ŋ/, /ʔ/, /h/
/ɑː/, /ɜː/, /uː/, /iː/, /ɔː/, /æ/, /e/, /ə/, /ɪ/, /ʊ/,
/ʌ/, /ɒ/,
/eɪ/, /aɪ/, /ɔɪ/, /ɪə/, /eə/, /ʊə/, /əʊ/, /aʊ/,

5. English Speech Sounds
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Roach, P. 2004. English Phonetics & Phonology.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
(Roach, 2004, p. x-xii)

6. The Speech Sounds We Produce
A. CONSONANTS
B. VOWELS
C. DIPHTHONGS
(not the letters in the alphabet)
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7. CONSONANTS
• The sounds that are produced when “the flow of air is
obstructed at some point in the mouth, throat, or larynx, at
least sufficiently to cause audible friction” (Matthew, 2014,
p. 75)
• “The air stream from the lungs is either completely blocked
(stop), partially blocked (lateral) or where the opening is so
narrow that the air escapes with audible frictions (fricative).
With some consonants (nasal), the airstream is blocked in
the mouth but allowed to escape through the nose”
(Richards, Platt, & Weber 1985, p.59).
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9. © Assoc. Prof. Dr. Khazriyati Salehuddin (2023) 9
l
r

10. English Consonant Sounds
• Altogether 25 Consonant Sounds
• These sounds are different in their
1. Voicing (Voiced / Voiceless)
2. Place of Articulation
3. Manner of Articulation
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12. English Consonants
1. VOICING
• Vocal Folds are spread apart
• No obstruction
• VOICELESS Sounds
• Vocal Folds are together
• Obstruction
• VOICED Sounds
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/s/ vs. /z/
/f/ vs. /v/
/d/ vs. /t/
/p/ vs. /b/

13. English Consonants
2. PLACE OF ARTICULATION
• Oral vs. Nasal Track / Cavity
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14. English Consonants
2. PLACE OF ARTICULATION
• Where?
• Bilabial (Two lips)
• Labiodental (Upper front teeth & Lower Lip)
• Dental / Interdental (Tongue tip between upper & lower
teeth)
• Alveolar (tongue tip & alveolar ridge)
• Palatals (tongue & hard palate)
• Velars (back of tongue & velum)
• Glottals (space between vocal folds)
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/p/, /b/, /m/, /w/
/f/, /v/
/θ/, /ð/
/t/, /d/, /s/, /z/, /r/, /l/, /n/
/ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/, /dʒ/, /j/
/k/, /ɡ/, /ŋ/, (/w/)
/ʔ/, /h/

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l,r

16. English Consonants
2. PLACE OF ARTICULATION
• where the obstructions take place
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bilabial
labiodental
interdental
alveolar
Palato-
alveolar
/ palatal
velar

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18. English Consonants
3. MANNER OF ARTICULATION
• how the obstructions take place
• The way the airflow is obstructed
• https://www.mimicmethod.com/ft101/manner-of-articulation/
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19. English Consonants
3. MANNER OF ARTICULATION
• STOP / PLOSIVE (total obstruction in airflow followed by a sudden
release)
• FRICATIVE (partial obstruction in airflow via a narrow passage)
• AFFRICATE (starts with a total obstruction, ends with a partial
obstruction)
• APPROXIMANT (two articulators come close together but not close
enough to cause turbulence)
• LATERAL (tongue blocks mid mouth, airflow via sides)
• NASAL (velum lowered, airflow goes through nasal cavity)
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20. English Consonants
3. MANNER OF ARTICULATION
• STOP / PLOSIVE (/p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /ɡ/, /ʔ/)
• FRICATIVE (/f/, /v/, /s/, /z/, /θ/, /ð/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /h/)
• AFFRICATE (/tʃ/, /dʒ/)
• APPROXIMANT (/w/, /j/, /r/)
• LATERAL (/l/)
• NASAL (/m/, /n/, /ŋ/)
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22. VOWELS
• The sounds that are produced “with a relatively free flow of
air” (Yule, 2019, p. 34)
• Tongue plays a role in determining the “characteristics” of
the sound
• The airstream from the lungs is not blocked in any way in the
mouth or throat, and which is usually pronounced with
vibration of the vocal chords. (Richards, Platt, & Weber 1985,
p. 309)
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23. VOWELS
• Type of vowel sound depends on the position of the tongue.
1. How high the tongue is raised (TONGUE HEIGHT – high,
mid, low)
2. Which part of the tongue is affected (TONGUE
ADVANCEMENT – front, centre, back)
3. (Shape of mouth (SHAPE – spread, neutral, rounded)) -
alternative
4. VOWEL LENGTH (Long, short)
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25. ENGLISH VOWELS
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26. ENGLISH VOWELS
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TONGUE
HEIGHT
High
Mid
Low
TONGUE ADVANCEMENT
Front Central Back
MOUTH SHAPE
Spread Rounded
Neutral

27. ENGLISH VOWELS
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TONGUE
HEIGHT
High
Mid
Low
TONGUE ADVANCEMENT
Front Central Back
MOUTH SHAPE
Spread Rounded
Neutral

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29. English Vowels
• 12 English Vowels
• (7 short, 5 long)
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1. high, front, long vowel
2. high, front, short vowel
3. mid, front, short vowel
4. low, front, short vowel
5. low, back, short vowel
6. mid, central, long vowel
7. low, central short vowel
8. low, back, long vowel
9. high, back, long vowel
10. high, back, short vowel
11. low, back, long vowel
12. low, back, short vowel

30. English DIPHTHONGS
8 DIPHTHONGS
• A glide from one vowel to another
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/eɪ/, /aɪ/, /ɔɪ/,
/ɪə/, /eə/, /ʊə/,
/əʊ/, /aʊ/,

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