Describing Consonants

Manner of Articulation

1. Stops
Stops are made with a complete and momentary closure of airflow through the
vocal tract. In English; bilabial, alveolar, and velar oral and nasal stops occur in the
following words. The letters of stop are p, t, k, b, d, g.

2. Continuant
A consonant that is sounded with the vocal tract only partly closed, allowing
the breath to pass through and the sound to be prolonged.

3. Voiced and Voiceless

Voiced is your vocal cords, which are actually mucous membranes, stretch
across the larynx at the back of the throat. By tightening and relaxing as you speak,
the vocal cords modulate the flow of breath expelled from the lungs. These are the
voiced consonants: B, D, G, J, L, M, N, Ng, R, Sz, Th (as in the word "then"), V, W,
Y, and Z.

Examples: Baby, trevel, books, baby, etc.

Voiceless consonants do not use the vocal cords to produce their hard,
percussive sounds. Instead, they're slack, allowing air to flow freely from the lungs to
the mouth, where the tongue, teeth, and lips engage to modulate the sound. These are
the voiceless consonants: Ch, F, K, P, S, Sh, T, and Th (as in "thing").
4. FRICATIVES
Fricatives are consonants produced with a continuous airflow through the
mouth. They belong to a large class of sounds called continuants (a class that also
includes vowels and glides), all of which share this property. The letters are v, θ, z, ∫,
t∫, dз.

Examples:

Voiceless—voiced

fat – van

thin – then

sun – zip

ship – azure

5. Affricates
When a stop articulation is released, the tongue moves rapidly away from the
point of articulation. Some noncontinuant consonants show a slow release of the
closure; these sounds are called affricates. The letters are ʧ and ʤ.

Examples: Check, jump.

6. Nasal
The velum, however, can be lowered to allow air to pass through the nasal
passages. The letters are m, n, ŋ.

Examples: Sun, sing, bank, wink.

7. Oral
When the velum is raised, cutting off the airflow through the nasal passages.
The latters are b,d,g for voiced and p,t,k for voiceless.
8. Aspirated and Unaspirated
Aspirated is the strong burst of breath that accompanies either the release or,
in the case of preaspiration, the closure of some obstruents. Unaspirated is the smooth
burst of breath.

Examples:

Aspirated Unaspirated

Pool Spool

Tale Stale

Kale Scale
9. Plosives
Plosives produced when air in the lungs is briefly blocked from flowing out
through the mouth and nose, and pressure builds up behind the blockage. The letters
of plosives are t, k, p for voiceless, and d, g, b for voiced.

Examples:

Pat Bag

Kid Stuck

Skip Grab

10. Trill/Flap/Trap
The flap is produced when the tongue tip strikes the alveolar ridge as it passes
across it.

Examples: Bitter, butter.

11. LIQUIDS
Among the sounds commonly found in the world's languages are I and r and
their numerous variants. They form a special class of consonants known as liquids.
12. Glides
The glide is made with the tongue raised and pulled back near the velum and
with the lips protruding, or rounded. The latters are [j] and [w].

Examples: [j] you and [w] we.