English Phonetics: Voicing and Articulation

Clear L

Before vowels, in word initial, word medial (leave, let, feel, it, will, you, silly, yellow)

Fully Devoiced

Unvoiced plosives in accented syllables PTK + L (play, please, close)

Partially Devoiced

Unvoiced plosives in unaccented syllables (butler, antler, clarinet) unvoiced fricatives + L (fling, flow, half)

Dark L

Final position, after vowel (feel, fill, call) after a vowel, before a consonant (help, cold, milk)

R

Final position link with the following word beginning with a vowel (far, way, for, all)

Fully voiced: followed by a vowel (raet, red)

Fully devoiced: accented unvoiced plosives + R (price, cry, try)

Partially devoiced: fricative or voiced plosive (fry, free)

Linking J

/i:, i, ei, ai, oi/ + vowel (enjoy it, me and you)

Linking W

/u, u:, au, shaw u/ + vowel (allow it, you and me)

Approximants

The organs of speech are close enough but do not touch themselves and they are similar to vowels because there is no obstruction of the air flow

Semivowels

No obstruction of the air flow, produced like a vowel but it occupies the place of a consonant so they have a marginal position

Voicing

Vibration of the vocal folds

Devoicing

Less vibration voicing

H

It is fricative and is also considered approximant because the glottis assumes a narrowed position

Bilabial Plosives /PB/

Raised soft palate, nasal resonator shut off. Primary obstacle caused by the closure of the lips air compressed behind it, escapes abruptly once lips open apart.

Alveolar Plosives /TD/

Raised soft palate, nasal resonator shut off. Closure made by tip and rims of the tongue against the upper alveolar ridge and side teeth.

Velar Plosives /KG/

Raised soft palate, nasal resonator shut off. Obstacle made by the tongue against the soft palate.

Affricates

Palato-alveolar /ts dg/ they are like plosives but the release stage is slower. Raised soft palate, nasal resonator shut off. Closure made between the tip, blade and rims of the tongue and the upper alveolar ridge and side teeth.

Affricatives

Cluster of a plosive and a fricative, produces excessive friction in the release stage /TR/ /DR/

Fricatives

Produced by two organs come close together so that the air that escapes produced and audible friction

Labio-Dental Fricatives /FV/

Raised soft palate, nasal resonator shut off. Lower lips make light contact with the edge of the upper teeth air that escapes producing friction.

Dental Fricatives /th/

Raised soft palate, nasal resonator shut off. Tips and rims of the tongue make a light contact with the top and front teeth

Alveolar Fricatives /sz/

Raised soft palate, nasal resonator shut off. Blade and tip of the tongue make a light contact with the upper alveolar ridge and the side rims of the tongue make a close contact with the upper side teeth.

Palato-Alveolar Fricatives /she george/

Raised soft palate, nasal resonator shut off. Tip and blade of the tongue make a light contact with the alveolar ridge Front of the tongue make contact with the upper side teeth.

Glottal Fricative /h/

Air passes through the opening in the vocal folds (glottis) producing audible friction

Nasal

Total closure is made within the mouth, air escapes through the nasal cavity

Bilabial Nasal /m/

Total closure using both lips like in /p, b/ the soft palate in a middle position.