1. Introduction to phonetics and English phonology: Consonants
Uttalslära
Introduction to phonetics and English phonology:
Consonants

2. Consonants
Produced by obstructing the airstream through the oral cavity.
Can be voiced or voiceless

3. Mute consonants
Some words are spelled with one or more consonants that are not pronounced.
thumb /θʌm/
Christmas /'krısməs/
sigh /saı/

4. Two ways of describing consonants
The place in the mouth
(for instance dentals – produced with the tongue touching the teeth)
The manner of articulation
(for instance fricatives – produced by creating friction in the mouth)

5. Types of consonants • Plosives (stops) • Fricatives • Nasals
• Affricates
• Semi-vowels

6. The consonants of English 1
Voiceless Voiced
Plosives /p/ pet /b/ bag
/k/ kite /g/ bag
/t/ take /d/ dog
Fricatives /f/ fan /v/ van
/s/ so /z/ zoo
/ʃ/ shore /ʒ/ vision
/θ/ thin /ð/ then
/h/ hat
Nasals /m/ men
/n/ men
/ŋ/ sing

7. The consonants of English 2
Voiceless Voiced
Affricates /tʃ/ church /dʒ/ judge
Semi-vowels /w/ well
/j/ yes
Lateral /l/ long
Frictionless continuant /r/ rose

8. Plosives
Also known as stops. The flow of air is completely blocked and then released all at once.
English has six plosives; three voiced and three voiceless.

9. The English plosives Voiceless Voiced /p/ pin /b/ bin /t/ tin /d/ din
/k/ coat /g/ goat

10. /p/ as in pin, /b/ as in bin
“p” is mute in words with pn- and ps-
psalm /sɑ:m/
pneumonia /nju:'məʊnıə/
“b” is mute in most words with -mb
thumb /θʌm/, climb /klaım/
“b” is also mute in
subtle /sʌtl/, doubt /daʊt/

11. /t/ as in tin, /d/ as in din
Pronunciation: the tip of the tongue not touching the teeth
“t” is mute in some words with -st-
listen /'lısən/
castle /'kɑ:s(ə)l || 'kæs(ə)l/
Christmas /'krısməs/
“d” is mute in a few words
handkerchief /'hæŋkərtʃɪf/
Wednesday /'wenzdeı/

12. /k/ as in coat Spellings: k, c, qu king /'kıŋ/ cane /keın/
liquid /'lıkwıd/
quay /ki:/
“k” is mute in words with kn-
knight /naıt/
knit /nıt/

13. /g/ as in goat “g” is mute in words with gn- or -gn: gnat /nat/
reign /reın/
sign /saın/
There are also other pronunciations of the letter “g”.

14. Fricatives The flow of air is partially blocked, to create friction.
English has nine fricatives; four voiced and five voiceless.

15. The English fricatives
Voiceless Voiced
/f/ fan /v/ van
/s/ so /z/ zoo
/ʃ/ shore /ʒ/ vision
/θ/ thin /ð/ then
/h/ hat

16. /f/ as in fan, /v/ as in van
Spelling: f, ph, gh
Spelling: v
Important contrast between /v/ and /w/ !
Phil /fıl/
enough /ı'nʌf/
Note: of /ɒv||ʌv/

17. /v/ as in van
Many native English-speakers have problems counting how many times the letter “f” occurs in a sentence like
Finished files are the result of years of scientific study.
That is because “of” is pronounced with
/v/, and many people don’t notice the letter “f” in the word “of”.

18. /s/ as in so Spellings: c, ss, sc, s-, sometimes -s cease /si:s/
advice /əd'vaıs/
miss /mıs/
sing /sıŋ/

19. /z/ as in zoo Spellings: z, sometimes s seize /si:z/ keys /ki:z/
has /hæz/
is /iz/

20. /ʃ/ as in shore Spellings: sh, -ti-, -ci-, -si-, sometimes ch
machine /mə'ʃi:n/
Asia /'eıʃə/
ancient /'eınʃənt/
Charlotte /'ʃɑ:(r)lət/

21. /ʒ/ as in pleasure Spellings: -su-, -sion (preceded by a vowel), -ge
treasure /'treʒə/
television /'teləvıʒən/
prestige /prə'sti:ʒ/

22. /θ/ as in thin Spelling: th faith /feıθ/ Thursday /'θɜ:(r)zdeı/
thin /θın/
cathedral /kə'θi:drəl/

23. /ð/ as in then Spelling: th
Important to know when to use /ð/ and when to use /θ/!
then /ðen/
brother /'brʌðə(r)/
breathe /bri:ð/ (but: breath /breθ/ )

24. /h/ as in hat “h” is mute in some words vehicle /vi:ıkl/
shepherd /'ʃepəd/
Birmingham /'bɜ:(r)mıŋəm/
heir /eə(r)/

25. Nasals
When producing a nasal, we let the air flow through the nose instead of the mouth.
English has three nasals, all of them voiced.

26. /m/ as in me
Examples:
summer /'sʌmə(r)/

27. /n/ as in not
Pronunciation: the tip of the tongue not touching the teeth
“n” is mute in words with -mn:
condemn /kən'dem/
hymn /hım/
damn /dæm/

28. /ŋ/ as in king The spelling “ng” is sometimes pronounced
/ŋ/ and sometimes /ŋg/
herring /'herıŋ/
singing /'sıŋıŋ/
angry /'æŋgrı/
hunger /'hʌŋgə(r)/

29. Affricates Consist of a plosive followed by a fricative.
English has two affricates; one voiced and one voiceless.

30. /tʃ/ as in church Spellings: ch cheese /tʃi:z/ China /'tʃaınə/
children /'tʃıldrən/

31. /ʃ/ versus /tʃ/ sheep /ʃi:p/ cheap /tʃi:p/ ship /ʃıp/ chip /tʃıp/
Charlotte /'ʃɑ:(r)lət/ Charles /tʃɑ:lz/
Talk is not sheep!

32. /dʒ/ as in judge Spellings: j, g, ge
geography /dʒı'ɒgrəfı||dʒı'ɑ:grəfı/
jeans /dʒi:nz/
jam /dʒæm/
ridge /rıdʒ/

33. Thank you for listening!