Phonetics

Description of Speech Sounds
Speech Sounds are divided into deuce main groups:
(1) Consonants, and
(2) Vowels.

Consonants: A translation of consonants, according to A.C. Gimson, must solelyow answers to the following questions:
      (i)           Is the air-stream set in motion by the lungs or by some other means? (pulmonic   
               or non-pulmonic).
             (ii)         Is the air-stream pressure divulgewards or sucked inwards? (egressive or ingressive)
            (iii)         Do the strain cords vibrate or not? ( utter or voiceless).  
            (iv)        Is the docile palate raised or lowered? Or, does the air  backslide    throughthe unwritten cavity        
              (mouth) or the nasal cavity (nose)?
(v)         At what point or points and between what organs does the closure or narrowing  
              take place? (Place of articulation).
(vi)        What is the type of closure or narrowing at the point of articu lation? (Manner of 
              articulation).






Thus the description of a consonant will include five kinds of information :
(1) the personality of the air-stream mechanism;
(2) the state of the glottis;
(3) the position of soft palate (velum);
(4) the articulators in volved; and
(5) the nature of the stricture.

The Nature of the Air-stream Mechanism. Most speech sounds and all normal English sounds are made with an egressive pul monic air-stream, e.g., the air pushed out of the lungs.

The State of Glottis. A consonant may be voiced or voice-less, depending upon whether the vocal cords remain wide aside (voice-less) or in a state of vibration (voiced).

The attitude of the Soft Palate. While describing consonants we have to mention whether they are oral sounds (produced with soft palate raised, thus blocking the nasal passing of air) or nasal sounds (produced with the soft palate lowered).

The Articulators Involved. In the description of consonants, we have also to discuss the various articulators...If you want to bushel a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay



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