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4. Consonants

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English Pronunciation for Speakers of Spanish
This chapter is in the book English Pronunciation for Speakers of Spanish
Chapter 44 Consonants4.1 IntroductionThis chapter describes RP consonants based on the acoustic, auditory and artic-ulatory features (basically place and manner of articulation, position of thevocal folds, as well as force or energy of articulation) previously detailed inChapters 1 and 2 (see under § 1.2, 2.3.2 and 2.4.3). As already noted, acoustically,consonants are characterised by irregular formant patterns, and articulatorily,they differ from vowels in that their production involves some sort of impedi-ment or stricture in the VT, which is not present in vowel articulation. Here, inline with other reference books (Gimson 1980, 1984, 1994; Cruttenden 2008,2014; Colina 2009), consonants are classified into two main groups,obstruentsandsonorants, according to theirsonority, that is, the correlation that existsbetween the degree of openness of the VT that is necessary for their articulationand the relative loudness with which they are perceived (see § 1.3.3.2 for detailson thesonority hierarchy principle).Obstruents include three kinds of consonants that are produced with differ-ent types of obstruction to the airflow having resonance above that point ofconstriction (see fn 3). In the case ofplosivesthe stricture impedes the air-flow through nose or mouth; infricativesthe stricture causes friction; and inaffricatesthere is a combination of both articulations. Articulatorily, obstruentsshow a distinctive opposition betweenfortisandlenistypes; and acousticallythey are typically associated with a noise component and with irregular formantstructure patterns that show higher frequency. Phonologically, they tend to be“non-syllabic”or marginal in the syllable.Sonorants, on the other hand, are articulatorily defined as frictionless soundsthat are produced with a relatively free, or unimpeded, oral or nasal airflow,having a vocal fold position such that spontaneous voicing is possible (see fn 4).They resonate throughout the VT. To this group belong four groups of consonantsdiffering in manner of articulation,nasals,approximants(including glide con-sonants and liquids),tapsandtrills, which share many phonetic characteristicswith vowels. Acoustically sonorants are characterised by the absence of a noisecomponent and by homogeneous formant structure patterns that are lowerin frequency. Some sonorants (nasals and liquids) may also be syllabic (see§ 1.3.3.3).
© 2016 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Munich/Boston

Chapter 44 Consonants4.1 IntroductionThis chapter describes RP consonants based on the acoustic, auditory and artic-ulatory features (basically place and manner of articulation, position of thevocal folds, as well as force or energy of articulation) previously detailed inChapters 1 and 2 (see under § 1.2, 2.3.2 and 2.4.3). As already noted, acoustically,consonants are characterised by irregular formant patterns, and articulatorily,they differ from vowels in that their production involves some sort of impedi-ment or stricture in the VT, which is not present in vowel articulation. Here, inline with other reference books (Gimson 1980, 1984, 1994; Cruttenden 2008,2014; Colina 2009), consonants are classified into two main groups,obstruentsandsonorants, according to theirsonority, that is, the correlation that existsbetween the degree of openness of the VT that is necessary for their articulationand the relative loudness with which they are perceived (see § 1.3.3.2 for detailson thesonority hierarchy principle).Obstruents include three kinds of consonants that are produced with differ-ent types of obstruction to the airflow having resonance above that point ofconstriction (see fn 3). In the case ofplosivesthe stricture impedes the air-flow through nose or mouth; infricativesthe stricture causes friction; and inaffricatesthere is a combination of both articulations. Articulatorily, obstruentsshow a distinctive opposition betweenfortisandlenistypes; and acousticallythey are typically associated with a noise component and with irregular formantstructure patterns that show higher frequency. Phonologically, they tend to be“non-syllabic”or marginal in the syllable.Sonorants, on the other hand, are articulatorily defined as frictionless soundsthat are produced with a relatively free, or unimpeded, oral or nasal airflow,having a vocal fold position such that spontaneous voicing is possible (see fn 4).They resonate throughout the VT. To this group belong four groups of consonantsdiffering in manner of articulation,nasals,approximants(including glide con-sonants and liquids),tapsandtrills, which share many phonetic characteristicswith vowels. Acoustically sonorants are characterised by the absence of a noisecomponent and by homogeneous formant structure patterns that are lowerin frequency. Some sonorants (nasals and liquids) may also be syllabic (see§ 1.3.3.3).
© 2016 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Munich/Boston

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Table of Contents v
  3. Acknowledgements x
  4. List of Tables xi
  5. List of Figures xiii
  6. Audio Tracks xv
  7. List of Abbreviations and Phonetic Symbols xviii
  8. Purpose and Scope of the Book xxiv
  9. 1. Phonetics and Phonology 1
  10. 2. The Production and Classification of Speech Sounds 44
  11. 3. Vowels and Vowel Glides 84
  12. 4. Consonants 150
  13. 5. Segment Dynamics: Aspects of Connected Speech 233
  14. 6. Beyond the Segment: Stress, Rhythm and Intonation 262
  15. 7. Predicting Pronunciation from Spelling (and Vice Versa) 322
  16. Further Exercises: Passages for Phonemic Transcription 349
  17. Answer key
  18. Exercises Chapters 1 to 7 355
  19. Further exercises: Passages for Phonemic Transcription 381
  20. References 386
  21. Subject Index 397
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https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501510977-010

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Table of Contents v
  3. Acknowledgements x
  4. List of Tables xi
  5. List of Figures xiii
  6. Audio Tracks xv
  7. List of Abbreviations and Phonetic Symbols xviii
  8. Purpose and Scope of the Book xxiv
  9. 1. Phonetics and Phonology 1
  10. 2. The Production and Classification of Speech Sounds 44
  11. 3. Vowels and Vowel Glides 84
  12. 4. Consonants 150
  13. 5. Segment Dynamics: Aspects of Connected Speech 233
  14. 6. Beyond the Segment: Stress, Rhythm and Intonation 262
  15. 7. Predicting Pronunciation from Spelling (and Vice Versa) 322
  16. Further Exercises: Passages for Phonemic Transcription 349
  17. Answer key
  18. Exercises Chapters 1 to 7 355
  19. Further exercises: Passages for Phonemic Transcription 381
  20. References 386
  21. Subject Index 397
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