The English language can be hard to pronounce. And if you’ve ever read one of those dry books that has all the phonics symbols, it can be like deciphering Greek. (Because in many cases, they actually use Greek letters to explain the phonics!). That all seems unnecessarily complicated, so we’ve created this guide to explain in Plain English exactly how phonics works. In it, we will discuss phonics terms, what they mean, and examples that are easy to understand. Let’s dive right in!
What is a fricative sound in the English language?
A fricative is any sound produced by putting two “articulators” together in the mouth and then forcing air through. This can mean the tip of the tongue to the front teeth as in the “th” sound, the front teeth placed against the lower lip as in the “f” sound, or the upper and lower lip placed together in the “b” sound.
What are the Eight English fricatives?
There are eight fricative sounds in English:
/f/ as in the word “fish”
/v/ as in the word “vet”
/θ/ as in the word “think”
/ð/ as in the word “this”
/s/ as in the word “sun”
/z/ as in the word “zoo”
/ʃ/ as in the word “shoe”
/ʒ/ as in the word “vision”
Fricatives are a type of consonant sound that is produced when air flows through a narrow opening in the mouth, such as between the teeth or between the tongue and the palate. The air flow is restricted, which causes a hissing or whistling sound. These sounds require precise control of the mouth and tongue.
What are voiced vs voiceless sounds in English?
Voiced and voiceless sounds are two categories of speech sounds that are based on the vibration of the vocal cords. In general, a voiced sound is one in which the vocal cords vibrate, producing a resonant, humming sound, while a voiceless sound is one in which the vocal cords do not vibrate, producing a non-resonant, breathy sound.
For example, the /z/ sound in the word “zoo” is a voiced sound, because the vocal cords vibrate when it is pronounced. In contrast, the /s/ sound in the word “sun” is a voiceless sound, because the vocal cords do not vibrate when it is pronounced.
The difference between voiced and voiceless sounds can be subtle, and it can be difficult for non-native speakers to hear and produce the distinction. However, it is an important aspect of pronunciation in many languages, including English. In English, some pairs of sounds, such as /p/ and /b/ or /f/ and /v/, are voiced and voiceless versions of the same sound.
What is an articulator in phonetics?
Articulator means any two parts of the mouth that touch each other to form a consonant sound. Whenever we produce a sound that makes a consonant, we have two parts of the mouth that make contact, and when we push air through the mouth, that makes a sound. Let’s look at several consonants in the English language, starting with the bilabial sounds.
What is a bilabial sound?
A bilabial sound is any consonant letter where you put both lips together to form the sound. Examples of bilabial consonants in English are “B”, “P”, “M”. All three of these letters are formed by putting the two lips together and then making a sound. Try it yourself. You’ll find it’s impossible to make these sounds without putting both lips together. But what’s the difference between these bilabial consonants? Let’s explore that next.
What are the Three Bilabial Sounds?
In English, there are 3 bilabial sounds: /p/, /b/, and /m/. These sounds are called “bilabial” because they are produced using both lips.
- The /b/ sound is a voiced bilabial plosive, which means that the vocal cords vibrate when the sound is made. This sound is found in words like “bat” and “bin.”
- The /p/ sound is a voiceless bilabial plosive, which means that the air is briefly stopped in the mouth before being released with a popping sound. This sound is found in words like “pat” and “pin.”
- The /m/ sound is a voiced bilabial nasal, which means that the air flows out through the nose while the lips are brought together. This sound is found in words like “mom” and “map.”
- These sounds can be challenging for non-native English speakers to pronounce, as they require precise control of the lips and mouth.
What is a bilabial plosive?
A bilabial plosive is a consonant that requires both the upper and lower lips be put together, and a tiny momentary “stop” to the air coming out before the sound comes out “explosively”.
In English, the bilabial plosives are seen in two sounds, the /p/ sound, as in the word “pat,” and the /b/ sound, as in the word “bat.” To make these sounds, the lips are brought together and the vocal cords are briefly closed, so that when the air is released it creates a force of air coming out of the mouth.
Examples of bilabial plosives?
Examples of bilabial plosive consonants in the English language are the letters “B” and “P”.
- Examples of bilabial plosive consonants can be used in the sentence “The boy practiced baseball by standing at home plate and hitting baseballs thrown by the pitcher with his bat.”
- You’ll notice that for each of these letters in bold, you put both of your lips together, form a brief “stop” or “occlusion” of the air, then the sound comes out “explosively”.
What is a voiced bilabial plosive?
A voiced bilabial plosive is a type of consonant sound that is produced when both lips are brought together and air is suddenly released, causing a burst of sound.
- It is considered “voiced” because the vocal cords vibrate when making the sound. In English, the voiced bilabial plosive is the /b/ sound, as in the word “bat.”
- To make this sound, you put your two lips together, and vibrate the vocal cords, so that when the air is released it creates a popping sound.
- This sound is often easier for English learners to pronounce than the unvoiced bilabial plosive (/p/), because the vibration of the vocal cords helps to produce the sound.
What is a voiceless bilabial plosive?
A voiceless bilabial plosive is a type of consonant sound that you make when both lips are brought together and air is suddenly released, causing a burst of sound.
- The sound is called a “plosive” because it is produced by a sudden explosion of air, and it is “voiceless” because the vocal cords do not vibrate when the sound is made.
- In English, the voiceless bilabial plosive is the /p/ sound, as in the word “pat.” To make this sound, you put the lips together, then the vocal cords are briefly closed, and you push out air to make a popping sound.
- This sound can be difficult for English learners to pronounce because it requires precise control of the lips and mouth, and the lack of vibration from the vocal cords can make the sound feel unnatural.
Voiced vs voiceless bilabial plosive?
The difference between voiced vs voiceless bilabial plosive sounds is whether or not the vocal cords vibrate.
- Voiced bilabial plosive is the “b” sound in English, whereas voiceless bilabial plosive is the “p” sound in English.
- When saying the “b” sound in the English language, the vocal cords vibrate, as in the words “ball” or “baby”, because “b” is a voiced bilabial plosive.
- When saying the “p” sound in English, the vocal cords do not vibrate. Instead you can think of it as a “pop” with a puff of air coming out of the mouth, as in the words “paper” or “pop”. Notice that your vocal cords do not vibrate when pronouncing the “p” sound.
What is voiced bilabial nasal?
A voiced bilabial nasal is a type of consonant sound that is produced when air flows out of the mouth through the nose, while the lips are brought together.
- This sound is called a “nasal” because it is produced through the nose, and it is “voiced” because the vocal cords vibrate when the sound is made.
- Try putting your hand up to your nose while saying “mmmm” – you’ll notice that air comes out of the nose.
- You’ll also notice that your vocal cords vibrate when saying the “mmmm” sound.
Example of voiced bilabial nasal?
In English, the voiced bilabial nasal is the /m/ sound, as in the word “mom.”
- To make this sound, the lips are brought together and the vocal cords are briefly closed, so that when the air is released it flows out through the nose and produces a humming sound.
- This sound is often easier for English learners to pronounce than the voiceless bilabial nasal (/m̥/), because the vibration of the vocal cords helps to produce the sound.
What are dental fricative sounds?
Dental fricatives are a type of consonant sound that is produced when air flows through the mouth and passes between the back of the upper front teeth and the tip of the tongue. In the English language, dental fricatives are in the form of the “th” sound, as in “the”, or “thin”. These sounds are called “dental” because the tongue makes contact with the upper teeth, as opposed to the alveolar ridge (the bumpy area just behind the upper front teeth) or the palate (the roof of the mouth).
Why are dental fricative sounds difficult to pronounce?
Dental fricative sounds can be difficult to pronounce because they are not common in languages around the world. The sounds can be especially challenging for English learners because they are not found in many other languages, and the English language makes use of dental fricatives very often.
Voiced Dental Fricative vs Voiceless Dental Fricative?
- Both voiced and voiceless Dental Fricatives refer to the “th” sound in the English language. This is the sound made when you place the tip of your tongue at your front teeth.
- The difference is that “voiced” dental fricatives have a “harder” sound, like the words “the”, “that”, or “this”. In contrast, “voiceless” dental fricatives have a “softer” sound like the word “thin”.
- To get specific, the term “voiced” means that the vocal cords are vibrating. You can notice this by saying the words “the”, “that”, or “this”, and feeling the front of your neck where the vocal cords are. You’ll notice that they vibrate when you say the “th” sound in words like “the”.
- In contrast, try saying the word “thin”. If you stop on just the “th” sound, you’ll notice that your vocal cords in your neck do NOT vibrate. Only air comes out of your mouth. This is the difference between “voiced” and “voiceless” dental fricatives.
- Voiced dental fricatives are indicated by the symbol ð, whereas voiceless dental fricatives have the symbol θ.
Examples of voiced dental fricatives:
“The” – The sun rose in the sky this morning.
(The word “this” also has a voiced dental fricative with the “th” at the beginning)
“This” or “That” – “Should I buy this dress, or that blouse?”
“Father” – My father taught me how to ride a bike.
In this case the voiced dental fricative is in the middle of the word: the “th” in Father.
Examples of voiceless dental fricatives:
Thin – “The long distance runner was very thin.”
Thick – “The pudding we made was very thick.”
Thimble – “I used a thimble to finish sewing the shirt.”
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the International Phonetic Alphabet?
The IPA, or International Phonetic Alphabet is a type of alphabet used by specialists in phonics and pronunciation, like Speech and Language Pathologists, Linguists, Language Teachers, and even Actors. The International Phonetic Alphabet uses Latin and Greek letters to describe every sound that can be made across multiple different languages. The IPA even has its own official academic journal (Journal of the International Phonetic Association) where Linguists and other scientists of language can discuss research related to phonics and linguistics. You will often see the IPA notations in dictionaries, like the most famous “Oxford Dictionary of the English Language.”
Why is English Difficult to Pronounce?
There are a few reasons why English can be difficult to pronounce for non-native speakers. One reason is that English has many unique sounds that are not found in other languages. For example, the “th” sounds in words like “think” and “this” are not found in many other languages, and can be difficult for non-native speakers to produce.
Another reason is that English has many exceptions and irregularities in its pronunciation rules. For example, the letter “c” can be pronounced as /s/ in words like “cent” and “city,” but it is pronounced as /k/ in words like “cat” and “cut.” This can make it difficult for non-native speakers to predict how a word will be pronounced based on its spelling.
Finally, English has a lot of variation in its pronunciation depending on the speaker’s regional accent. This can make it difficult for non-native speakers to understand spoken English, because they may not be familiar with the particular accent of the speaker they are listening to.