Consonant and Vowel sounds charts

Journey through American English Pronunciation

Karla Morales Matute

Table of Contents

1. Key Concepts

6. Articulatory Organs and Consonant and Vowel Charts.7. References

3. Consonant Sounds

4. Phonemes

5. Vowels diferenciation

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Key concepts

Phonology: is the study of speech sounds in language. Phonemes: Every language has its own set of distinctive sounds, known as phonemes, which native speakers consider to be separate sounds. Changing from one phoneme to another can alter the meaning of a word. Every language has its own set of distinctive sounds, known as phonemes, which native speakers consider to be separate sounds. Although every language has its own unique set of phonemes, they all play a crucial role in communication. It is important to use precise phonemes when speaking a language. IPA: Foreign language learners use the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to verify the precise pronunciation of words. Each IPA symbol corresponds to a sound. For instance, an English learner can utilise the IPA to identify the sounds and word stress in a word. The IPA is an invaluable tool for individuals acquiring a new language.

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Phonemes

Phonemes can be divided into two groups: consonants and vowels.

• Consonants are sounds in which the air stream meets obstacles on its way up from the lungs.

• Vowels are sounds in which the air stream moves out very smoothly.

All languages have consonants and vowels, but no two languages have exactly the same ones.

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Vowels are differentiated by the position of the tongue (anterior, central, or posterior), the height of the tongue and jaw (high, medium, or low), the degree of rounding or extension of the lips, and the relative tension of the muscles involved (tense or lax vowels).

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Through sounds

What distinguishes one consonant sound from another?

Articulatory Organs

Vowel quadrant

Vowel Charts

Consonants Chart

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References

Universidad IEXPRO (n.d) Unit 3 The vowel System. Pp. from 1 to 9 (PDF reader). Read unit 4 The Consonant system. Pp. from 1 to 4 Anderson, C. (2018, 15 marzo). 2.7 Classifying vowels. Pressbooks. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/essentialsoflinguistics/chapter/2-8-vowels/ Celce-Murcia, M., & Snow, M. A. (2014). Teaching English as a Second Or Foreign Language. Heinle ELT. Anderson, C. (2018, 15 marzo). 2.7 Classifying vowels. Pressbooks. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/essentialsoflinguistics/chapter/2-8-vowels/ Celce‐Murcia, M., Brinton, D. M., & Goodwin, J. M. (2010). Teaching pronunciation : a course book and reference guide. http://teachingpronunciation.pbworks.com/f/Pronunciation+chapter+handouts+2nd+edition.pdf Ladefoged, P. N. (2024, 8 marzo). Phonetics | Definition, Types, Examples, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/phonetics Pappas, L. (2021). An acoustic study of quasi-phonemic vowels in Ampenan Sasak. Journal Of The International Phonetic Association, 53(1), 47-68. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025100320000419

Thank you!

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Consonant sounds are characterised by their place, manner, and voicing. This figure illustrates the specific names for different parts of the tongue involved in articulating these sounds. The tip and blade are the most mobile parts, while the front of the tongue, which is actually the forward part of the body of the tongue, lies behind the blade and underneath the hard palate when the tongue is at rest. The tongue's body can be divided into three parts: the centre, which is partly beneath the hard palate and partly beneath the soft palate; the back, which is beneath the soft palate; and the root, which is opposite the back wall of the pharynx.

Image taken 03/12/24 Ladefoged, P. N. (2024, 8 marzo). Phonetics | Definition, Types, Examples, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/phonetics

Voicing

Points of Articulation

Voiced

Bilabial. Both lips come together.

The sound is produced by the vibration of the vocal cords. You can feel the vibration by touching your throat or hear it more clearly by plugging your ears.

Labiodental. Lower lip and upper teeth.

Dental or Interdental. Position the tongue tip and inner edge of the upper teeth.

Voiceless

Alveolar. Tongue tip and alveolar ridge (tooth ridge)

There is no vibration of the vocal cords. When you touch your throat, there is no vibration. There is no increase in sound when you plug your ears.

Palatal:. Body of the tongue and hard palate.

Velar. Back of the tongue and soft palate.)

Glottal. The passage in the throat is constricted to create friction.

In human speech, a vowel is a sound produced by the flow of air from the lungs passing through the mouth, which acts as a resonance chamber, with minimal obstruction and without audible friction. Examples include the 'i' in 'fit' and the 'a' in 'pack'. While vowels are typically produced with vibrating vocal cords, they can also be pronounced without such vibration, resulting in a voiceless or whispered sound. From an articulatory phonetics perspective, vowels are classified based on the position of the tongue and lips, and occasionally on whether the air is released through the nose. hese are sounds in which the vocal tract is not severely constricted, but rather an open, global configuration is created, mainly determined by the tongue position.

Image taken Celce-Murcia, M., & Snow, M. A. (2014). Teaching English as a Second Or Foreign Language. Heinle ELT. page. 141

Phonetic transcription systems (both use symbols from the International Phonetic Alphabet):broad (or phonemic) transcription, e.g. /ˈwɔtɚ/. detailed transcription, e.g. [ˈwɔɔɾɚ].

The vowel quadrant illustrates the position of the tongue for each vowel sound.The diagram displays different tongue positions both vertically and horizontally. It includes phonemic symbols for vowels.

Image taken 03/10/24 Anderson, C. (2018, 15 marzo). 2.7 Classifying vowels. Pressbooks. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/essentialsoflinguistics/chapter/2-8-vowels/

Phonetic transcription systems (both use symbols from the International Phonetic Alphabet):broad (or phonemic) transcription, e.g. /ˈwɔtɚ/. detailed transcription, e.g. [ˈwɔɔɾɚ].

Consonants are sounds in which the air stream meets obstacles on its way up from the lungs.

Example of Tongue Position

Image taken 03/12/24 Ladefoged, P. N. (2024, 8 marzo). Phonetics | Definition, Types, Examples, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/phonetics

Manner of Articulation