English Sounds

THE ENGLISH SOUNDS THE ENGLISH CONSONANTS PLOSIVES 1. /p/ pit VOICELESS BILABIAL PLOSIVE (OBSTRUCT) I make a forceful obstruction with my two lips. (GATHER) I gather a substantial amount of air in my mouth and shove it towards the inner side of my lips. (RELEASE) I release the air suddenly through a rather wide aperture • making a loud voiceless noise • making the complete grin 2. /b/ bit VOICED BILABIAL PLOSIVE (OBSTRUCT) I make a forceful obstruction with my two lips. (GATHER) I gather a substantial amount of air in my mouth and shove it towards the inner side of my lips. (RELEASE) I release the air suddenly through a rather wide aperture • making a loud voiced noise • making the complete grin 3. /t/ tin VOICELESS ALVEOLAR PLOSIVE (OBSTRUCT) I make a forceful obstruction by pushing the tip of my tongue against the alveolar ridge. (GATHER) I gather a substantial amount of air in my mouth and shove it towards the obstruction. (RELEASE) I release the air suddenly through the aperture: • making a loud voiceless noise • making the complete grin 4. /d/ din VOICED ALVEOLAR PLOSIVE (OBSTRUCT) I make a forceful obstruction by pushing the tip of my tongue against the alveolar ridge. (GATHER) I gather a substantial amount of air in my mouth and shove it towards the obstruction. (RELEASE) I release the air suddenly through the aperture: • making a loud voiceless noise • making the complete grin 5. /k/ kit VOICELESS VELAR PLOSIVE (OBSTRUCT) I make an obstruction by pushing the back of my tongue (dorsum) against the soft palate (velum).

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THE ENGLISH SOUNDS (GATHER) I gather a substantial amount of air in my mouth and shove it towards the obstruction. (RELEASE) I release the air suddenly through the aperture: • making a loud voiceless noise • making the complete grin 6. /g/ git VOICED VELAR PLOSIVE (OBSTRUCT) I make an obstruction by pushing the back of my tongue (dorsum) against the soft palate (velum). (GATHER) I gather a substantial amount of air in my mouth and shove it towards the obstruction. (RELEASE) I release the air suddenly through the aperture: • making a loud voiced noise • making the complete grin

NASALS 7. /m/ monk BILABIAL NASAL (PRESS) I press my lips very tightly. (VOCALIZE) I turn on my vocal cords. (BLOW) I blow the airflow through my nose. 8. /n/ nose ALVEOLAR NASAL (PRESS) I press the blade of my tongue against the alveolar ridge. (VOCALIZE) I turn on my vocal cords. (BLOW) I blow the airflow through my nose. 9. /ŋ/ ring VELAR NASAL (PRESS) I press the back of my tongue against the soft palate (velum). (VOCALIZE) I turn on my vocal cords. (BLOW) I blow the airflow through my nose.

FRICATIVES 10. /f/ fix VOICELESS LABIODENTAL FRICATIVE (CHANNEL) I create a channel between my lower lip and my upper teeth. (BLOW) I blow the air through this channel. 11. /v/ vice VOICED LABIODENTAL FRICATIVE (CHANNEL) I create a channel between my lower lip and my upper teeth. (VOCALIZE) I turn on my vocal cords. (BLOW) I blow the air through this channel. 12. /θ/ throw VOICELESS DENTAL FRICATIVE (CHANNEL) I create a channel between my teeth and the tip of my tongue. (BLOW) I blow the air through this channel. 13./ð/ those VOICED DENTAL FRICATIVE (CHANNEL) I create a channel between my teeth and the tip of my tongue. (VOCALIZE) I turn on my vocal cords.

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THE ENGLISH SOUNDS (BLOW) I blow the air through this channel. 14./s/ soar VOICELESS ALVEOLAR SIBILANT (GROOVE) I create a groove in my tongue. (CHANNEL) I fix the tip of my tongue to the alveolar ridge creating a channel. (BLOW) I blow the air through the groove and through the channel. 15. /z/ zone (GROOVE) I create a groove in my tongue. (CHANNEL) I fix the tip of my tongue to the alveolar ridge creating a channel. (BLOW) I blow the air through the groove and through the channel. 16. /ʃ/ shine VOICELESS POSTALVEOLAR FRICATIVE (GROOVE) I create a groove in my tongue. (CHANNEL) I create a channel by putting the front of my tongue behind the alveolar ridge and dome the body of the tongue. (BLOW) I blow the air through the groove and through the channel. 17. /ʒ/ vision VOICED POSTALVEOLAR FRICATIVE (GROOVE) I create a groove in my tongue. (CHANNEL) I create a channel by putting the front of my tongue behind the alveolar ridge and dome the body of the tongue. (VOCALIZE) I turn on my vocal cords. (BLOW) I blow the air through the groove and through the channel. 18. /h/ hot VOICELESS GLOTTAL FRICATIVE (OPEN) I open my mouth rather wide. (BARK) I make a deep gargling voiceless bark.

APPROXIMANT 19./j/ yoke PALATAL APPROXIMANT (CHANNEL) I create a channel by bringing the middle or the back part of my tongue against the hard palate. (VOCALIZE) I turn on my vocal cords. (BARK) I make a deep gargling voiced bark. 20./w/ weep VOICED LABIO-VELAR APPROXIMANT (JAWDROP) I drop my jaw as low as I can. (ROUND) I slightly round my lips. (CHANNEL) I create a channel by the back part of my tongue (dorsum) and the soft palate (velum). (BARK) I make a deep gargling voiced bark. 21./l/ love ALVEOLAR LATERAL APPROXIMANT (CHANNEL) I create a channel by pressing the tip of my tongue to the alveolar ridge or behind it. (GROOVE) I create the following groove: I press the middle part of my tongue hard against the ridge and create two symmetrical holes on the sides. (VOCALIZE) I turn on my vocal cords. (BLOW) I blow the air through the groove (the two symmetrical holes).

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THE ENGLISH SOUNDS 22./r/ rook ALVEOLAR APPROXIMANT (CHANNEL) I create a channel by pressing the blade of my tongue behind the alveolar ridge. (VOCALIZE) I turn on my vocal cords. (BARK) I make a deep gargling voiced bark.

AFFRICATES 23. /tʃ/ chance VOICELESS DOMED POSTALVEOLAR AFFRICATE (STOP) I block the airstream entirely by pressing the front of my tongue behind the alveolar ridge. (GROOVE) I make a groove in my tongue. (DOME) I dome my tongue upwards. (BLOW) I blow the air through the groove and the sharp edge of the teeth. 24. /ʒ/ joke VOICED POSTALVEOLAR AFFRICATE (STOP) I block the airstream entirely by pressing the front of my tongue behind the alveolar ridge. (GROOVE) I make a groove in my tongue. (DOME) I dome my tongue upwards. (VOCALIZE) I turn on my vocal cords. (BLOW) I blow the air through the groove and the sharp edge of the teeth.

THE ENGLISH VOWELS 1. /i:/ bead CLOSE FRONT UNROUNDED VOWEL (CLOSE) I position the tongue very close to the roof of the mouth. (FRONT) I position the tongue as far forward as possible. (SPREAD) I spread my lips wide. 2. /ɪ/ bit NEAR-CLOSE NEAR-FRONT UNROUNDED VOWEL (NEAR-CLOSE) I position the tongue rather close to the roof of the mouth. (NEAR-FRONT) I position the tongue rather far forward. (UNROUND) I do not round my lips. 3. /æ/ bad (NEAR-OPEN) I position my tongue rather far from the roof of the mouth. (FRONT) I position the tongue as far forward as possible. (UNROUND) I do not round my lips. 4. /ɜ:/ bird OPEN-MID CENTRAL UNROUNDED VOWEL (OPEN-MID) I position my tongue rather far from the roof of the mouth. (CENTRAL) I position my tongue in about the middle of my mouth cavity. (UNROUND) I do not round my lips. 5. /ɒ/box (OPEN) I position my tongue as far as possible from the roof of the mouth. (BACK) I position my tongue as far back as possible. (ROUND) I round my lips slightly. 6. /ɔ:/ bore (OPEN-MID) I position my tongue rather far from the roof of the mouth.

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THE ENGLISH SOUNDS (BACK) I position my tongue as far back as possible. (ROUND) I round my lips slightly. 7. /ɑ:/ bra (OPEN) I position my tongue as far as possible from the roof of the mouth. (BACK) I position my tongue as far back as possible. (UNROUND) I do not round my lips. 8. /ʊ/ hook (NEAR-CLOSE) I position the tongue rather close to the roof of the mouth. (NEAR-BACK) I position my tongue rather far. (ROUND) I round my lips slightly. 9. /u:/ Pooh (CLOSE) I position the tongue very close to the roof of the mouth. (BACK) I position my tongue as far back as possible. (ENDOLABIAL) I round my lips and make them protrude, exposing the inner surfaces. 10. /ʌ/ cut (NEAR-OPEN) I position my tongue rather far from the roof of the mouth. (CENTRAL) I position the tongue halfway between a front vowel and a back vowel. 11. /ə/ about Schwa is the most common vowel sound in English, a reduced vowel in many unstressed syllables, especially if syllabic consonants are not used: 12./e/ bed (OPEN-MID) I position my tongue rather far from the roof of the mouth. (FRONT) I position the tongue as far forward as possible. (UNROUND) I do not round my lips.

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