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1. Those in which the lips alone are used, as in the following examples: w win wh which m meet p pork b bee |
2. Those in which the lips are used in conjunction with the teeth: f father v very
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The linguals may be divided into four groups: |
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1. Those formed by tongue and teeth: th thick that
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2. Those formed by the tip of the tongue and the hard palate: t tip d do n no 1 lip r row |
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3. Those formed by the body of the tongue and the hard palate: s sow z zebra sh show 3 * azure |
4. Those formed by the body of the tongue and the soft palate: c cat k king g get ng sing y yes |
WHETHER ACCOMPANIED BY VIBRATION OF THE VOCAL CORDS
You have undoubtedly noticed that although some of the above sounds are produced by the same articulators, they nevertheless do not sound alike&emdash; for instance; thick and that. This brings us to the second factor involved in the characterization of consonants: whether they are voiced (sonants) or unvoiced (surds). A voiced consonant is one whose pronunciation is accompanied by vibration of the vocal cords:
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b bead d deed g good v virtue |
th this z zoo 3 azure w west |
m me n not I lot r red |
y year ng sing
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An unvoiced consonant is one which is emitted without any accompanying vibration of the vocal cords:
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th thought |
s sea |
sh shy |
wh which |
h hot |
H is rather special as it is produced simply by breath passing between the vocal cords.
DURATION
The third factor in determining the quality of a consonant is the length of time involved in its emission. Consonants either stop abruptly, in which case they are called stops, or they continue and are therefore called continuants.
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Stops: |
d date |
k kite |
g gate |
Continuants:
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w we wh where m music f fate |
v leave th those thistle n nice l leap |
r rose s seal s h shower z zealous |
3 azure y you ng song h horse |
To begin with the articulation of the lips, try saying the following sentence clearly and distinctly and slowly at first, being sure to maintain throat relaxation while speaking the words without overexaggerating the movements of the mouth:l. w A coward weeps and wails with woe when his wiles are thwarted.
Now try this one, observing the difference in effect through lack of vocal cord vibration, although the same articulators are working:
2. wh Which whelp whined when he heard the whale wheeze?
Notice that both times the consonant sound was a continuant.
Still employing the lips specifically, say the following sentence, observing that the consonant sound is both voiced and a continuant:
3. m Men and women may swim in the warm summertime before September storms come upon them.
The following two sentences again contain words requiring lip action, but both consonants are stops. The b, however, is voiced, while the p is not:
4. b. The big, bold baboon grabbed the bare branches with his bony, brown hands.
5. p The pelican's pouch is primarily appropriate for keeping him supplied with supper.
The following sentences still involve the use of the lips but in conjunction with the teeth. Notice the difference in effect between the unvoiced f sounds and the voiced v's:
1. f Five elephants huffed and puffed as they filed through the Friday traffic followed by a laughing waif.
2.v Vivacious voices strove to give more volume to the various verses.
The next sentences call attention to the linguals of the first group: those formed by the interaction of tongue and teeth. the first sentence uses unvoiced sounds, the next one, voiced sounds:
1. th A thousand thoughts about birth and death came thronging to the mind of the thin, unhealthy youth.
2. th They scythed the withering grass beside the smooth paths.
Our next examples point up the use of the tip of the tongue and the hard palate. As you read these phrases aloud, try to think carefully about the use of the articulators mentioned and be sure to maintain as much relaxation as possible through the entire throat area so that the articulators may remain flexible and you will feel in no way "tongue-tied" when you have finished. Refer to the preceding outline if you are uncertain as to the special character of the consonant being illustrated; that is, whether it is a sonant or a surd, a stop or a continuant:
1. t Try to take the time to teach Patty a pleasant tune.
2. ch Cheerful Cheshire cats chew chunks of chopped chicken and choke down chestnuts and cheese.
You will feel when speaking this sentence that your tongue is still using its tip for pronunciation of the ch, but it also uses its body in relation to the hard palate. This, then, is a combination of the sounds of t and sh.
3. d Day after day, the good old educators tried to din adequate knowledge into dreamy dunces.
4. n An honest scientist needs no hindrance in his sound investigation into the wonders of the universe.
5. I Violins and lutes played lovely tunes as the pale silver moonlight filtered through the olive trees.
6. r Ripe, round, bright, red berries drenched with rich cream provide thorough pleasure to those who truly relish fruit.
Try saying this last sentence aloud, first using a trilled r, which involves repeated use of the tongue in contact with the hard palate. Then notice the difference when you read it using the standard American r, which actually involves the raising of the tongue to the roof of the mouth. Avoid using the lips to pronounce r; this is not necessary. Depending on whether you are a singer or a public speaker, or a radio announcer or an actor, or if you wish simply to give particular emphasis to a word here or there, you may find yourself using the trilled r. Singers especially find that it can help enormously to clarify a word if used initially, and that it provides a quick springboard to a following vowel when used in the body of a word. You will notice that French singers use it when singing their own songs, although they speak with an r which is pronounced far back in the throat, almost gargled, in fact. Americans should learn to use the trilled r, but be careful to use it judiciously and not in such a way as to sound exaggerated or affected.
The next five sentences illustrate the interaction of the body of the tongue and the hard palate.
1. s Susan sighed softly as she passed the nice Swiss physicist in the passageway.
2. z At the zoo the lazy visitors observed zebras, gazelles, lizards, and prize lions.
3. sh She shed her mesh shoes and shamelessly shook her freshly washed shawl from her shoulders.
4. zh or 3 We usually derive composure and pleasure from leisure.
5. dzh or d3 The jealous major became enraged at the adjutant's jolly jokes about his huge budget.
Coming to the use of the body of the tongue in conjunction with the soft palate, try the following:
l. c and k. The kindly king and his quiet queen liked pickled pig's-knuckles with their cooked cabbage and crusty kidney pie.
2.g The gay ghost ogled the gaping guests, then wagged its gray finger at them as it gathered the garnets together.
3. ng Bring me a spring song to sing for the waiting throng.
Now notice the difference in pronunciation of the ng sound in the next sentence, where it is necessary to follow it with an additional sound of g:
4. ng The distinguished Englishman learned the Anglo-Saxon language and wrote singular jingles in it.
In the sentence below, we hear the ng sound again, but this time with a following k:
5. ngk The monkey blinked and wrinkled his pink nose as he tinkled the clinking trinkets on his ankles.
6.y Last year the yew in the canyon beyond your yard turned yellow.
7. h (Be careful not to gargle it.) Harry the hunter hasn't hiked home through the hills since he heard that a huge horse's hoof print was beheld in Hiram's Hollow.
As you can see, an enormous number of possible consonant combinations exists at the beginning, middle, or end of words. It would require an entire volume to list them with examples. Make your own combinations. Start composing sentences using specific combinations, and afterward, reading them for your own study, try speaking them aloud as if you were addressing an audience. Do not use any greater dynamics when speaking or singing these exercises than necessary to cause the sound to vibrate well. Also, try to minimize as much as possible closure of the nasal passage when pronouncing consonants.
| Richard Repp Home rrepp@richardrepp.com URL: http://www.richardrepp.com/ |