Study Guide: How to Explain English Consonant Sounds

1. Introducing a Concept

• Start with a general definition or description. Use phrases like:

• "A [phonetic term] is a sound that..."

• "[Phonetic term] sounds involve..."

• "In English phonetics, a [phonetic term] refers to..."

2. Explaining the Manner of Articulation

• Use the structure: "[Phonetic term] sounds are sounds that require speakers to
[description of articulation process]."

• Examples:

• Plosive: "A plosive sound is a sound that requires speakers to create a

• Affricate: "An affricate sound is a sound that combines the features of a plosive
and a fricative. It begins with a complete closure, but the release is slower than
in a plosive. Examples include /tʃ/ and /dʒ/."

• Fricative: "A fricative sound is a sound produced when two vocal organs come
close enough together to cause air turbulence, creating friction. For instance,
/f/ and /v/ are fricative sounds."

• Nasal: "Nasal sounds are produced when the airflow is directed through the
nose, due to a closure in the mouth while the soft palate is lowered. Examples
are /m/ and /n/."

• Lateral: "A lateral sound is produced by allowing air to flow around the sides of
the tongue, which makes contact with the alveolar ridge. An example is /l/."

• Approximant: "An approximant sound occurs when the articulators come close
to each other, but not close enough to create friction. For example, /r/ and /w/
are approximants."

3. Explaining the Place of Articulation

• Use the structure: "[Phonetic term] sounds are produced when [description of
articulators' position or movement]."

• Examples:

• Bilabial: "Bilabial sounds are produced by bringing both lips together. For
example, /p/ and /m/ are bilabial sounds."

• Labio-dental: "Labio-dental sounds involve the lower lip coming into contact
with the upper teeth. Examples include /f/ and /v/."
 • Dental: "Dental sounds are made by positioning the tongue tip between the
upper and lower teeth, or against the upper teeth, such as /θ/ and /ð/."

• Alveolar: "Alveolar sounds occur when the tongue makes contact with or
comes close to the alveolar ridge. For instance, /t/ and /s/ are alveolar
sounds."

• Palato-alveolar: "Palato-alveolar sounds are produced by positioning the

• Palatal: "Palatal sounds involve raising the front part of the tongue near the
hard palate. An example is /j/."

• Velar: "Velar sounds are created by the back of the tongue coming into contact
with the soft palate, like /k/ and /ŋ/."

• Glottal: "Glottal sounds are produced using the space between the vocal cords,
known as the glottis. An example is /h/."

4. Examples of Full Explanations

• Plosive Sound Example: "A plosive sound is a type of consonant that involves
completely blocking the airflow in the vocal tract, followed by a sudden release of air.
In English, /p/ is a voiceless bilabial plosive, which means that the sound is made using
both lips without vibrating the vocal cords."

• Alveolar Fricative Example: "An alveolar fricative is a sound produced when the blade
of the tongue is close to the alveolar ridge, creating a narrow passage for the airflow to
generate friction. For example, /s/ is a voiceless alveolar fricative, while /z/ is voiced."

Study Guide: How to Describe English Vowel Sounds

• Begin with a phrase to define or introduce the vowel sound. Use expressions like:

• "The vowel sound /[vowel]/ is classified as..."

• "/[vowel]/ is an example of a [type] vowel..."

• "In English, the /[vowel]/ sound is produced by..."

2. Explaining Vowel Features

• When describing vowels, focus on three main aspects: tongue height, the part of the
tongue that is raised, and lip rounding. The structure should be: "The /[vowel]/ sound
is a [tongue height] vowel with the [part of the tongue] raised, and the shape of the
lips is [rounded/unrounded]."

• Tongue Height: Close, mid, or open.

• Close vowels: The tongue is raised close to the roof of the mouth.

• Mid vowels: The tongue is positioned halfway between close and open.
 • Open vowels: The tongue is relatively low in the mouth.

• Part of the Tongue Raised: Front, central, or back.

• Front vowels: The front of the tongue is raised.

• Central vowels: The middle part of the tongue is raised.

• Back vowels: The back of the tongue is raised.

• Lip Rounding: Rounded or unrounded.

• Rounded vowels: The lips form a rounded shape.

• Unrounded vowels: The lips remain relaxed or spread.

3. Examples of Vowel Descriptions

• Use the structure: "/[vowel]/ is a [close/mid/open] vowel with the

• Examples:

• /iː/: "/iː/ is a close vowel with the front part of the tongue raised, and it is
unrounded. It is produced when the front of the tongue is near the roof of the
mouth while the lips remain unrounded. An example is the vowel in the word
bead."

• /æ/: "/æ/ is an open vowel with the front part of the tongue raised, and it is
unrounded. It is produced when the front of the tongue is positioned low in
the mouth while the lips remain spread. An example is the vowel in the word
hat."

• /ɒ/: "/ɒ/ is an open vowel with the back part of the tongue raised, and it is
rounded. It is produced when the back of the tongue is positioned low in the
mouth and the lips form a rounded shape. An example is the vowel in the word
dog."

• /uː/: "/uː/ is a close vowel with the back part of the tongue raised, and it is
rounded. It is produced when the back of the tongue is near the roof of the
mouth, and the lips are rounded. An example is the vowel in the word food."

4. Providing Additional Detail

• For a deeper explanation, include aspects like:

• Tenseness: Whether the vowel is tense (requires more muscle tension) or lax
(less muscle tension).

• Length: Whether the vowel is long (held for a longer duration) or short (held
for a shorter duration).

• Example:
 • /iː/: "/iː/ is a tense, long, close vowel with the front part of the tongue raised.
It is unrounded and requires more muscle tension than the lax vowel /ɪ/, while
also being longer in duration."

5. Examples of Full Explanations

• /æ/: "The /æ/ vowel is an open vowel with the front part of the tongue raised, and it is
unrounded. It occurs when the tongue is positioned low in the mouth, and the lips are
spread. This vowel can be found in words like hat and cat."

• /uː/: "The /uː/ sound is a close vowel with the back part of the tongue raised, and it is
rounded. It is produced when the back of the tongue is near the roof of the mouth,
while the lips are rounded. It is heard in words like food and blue."