English Pronunciation Practice A Practical Course for Students of English By Wang Guizhen Faculty of English Language & Culture Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
English consonants & consonant classification The English consonants can be classified according to place of articulation manner of articulation voicing, i.e. voiced or voiceless
Nasals, Approximants & Lateral(s) Like the stops, the nasals are all made by closing the vocal tract at some point in the mouth. Unlike the stops or any other sounds in the language, there is an opening into the nasal cavity in the pronunciation so that the sound can be resonated through the nose. The nasal consonants are /m/, /n/, and / /. /w/, /r/, and /j/ are called approximants because it is an articulation in which the articulators approach each other but do not get sufficiently close to each other to produce a "complete" consonant such as a stop, nasal or fricative. /l/ is called a "lateral" because during its pronunciation, the passage of air through the mouth does not go in the usual way along the centre of the tongue.
Allophonic variations of /m/ Syllabic: something Lengthened, when an arresting /m/ is followed by a releasing /m/:some more The labiodnetal nasal, when followed by /f/: comfort
Allophonic variations of /n/ Dentalized before a labiodental /f/ or /v/: invite Velarized before /k/ or / /: think Syllabic: button Lengthening, when /n/ arrests and releases adjoining syllables: ten names
Allophonic variations of / / The alveolar [n], when followed by an alveolar: taking ten Syllabic: lock and key
Allophonic variations of /r/ Devoiced as in voiceless clusters: treat The one-tap flap /r/: very The retroflexed /r/: right The back /r/, before or after /k/ or / /:crate grey
Allophonic variations of /l/ Syllabic: bottle "Clear-l", made with the tongue in the classical fronted position: lease "Dark-l", (the tongue tip and blade in the post alveolar position):call Devoiced in consonant clusters with voiceless stops: play The post-palatal, or velar /l/: milk