1. From

2. Ways of initiating airflow
Airstream Mechanisms
Ways of initiating airflow

3. Creating Pressure
We initiate airflow by creating pressure in the vocal tract.
Direction of initiatory movement creates 2 types of pressure:
Positive Pressure = Egressive = Outgoing
Negative Pressure = Ingressive = Incoming

4. 3 Locations of Initiation
Intitation at lungs
Initiation at glottis
Initiation at velum
Six Initiation Types
Pulmonic Egressive (common)
Pulmonic Ingressive (rare)
Glottalic Egressive (Ejectives)
Glottalic Ingressive (Implosives)
Velaric Egressive (Clicks)
Velaric Ingressive (Not used)

5. Pulmonic Initiation Pulmonic Egressive – most common mechanism
Air comes from lungs, through trachea and larynx & and out mouth or nose
Plosives, Stops in English, all vowels
[p], [b], [t], [d], [k], [g], etc.
Pulmonic Ingressive – very rare
Speaking while sucking in

6. From Ladefoged 1993

7. Glottalic Initiation
Air is trapped between glottis (vocal folds) & somewhere above in the vocal tract.
The larynx is then either raised or lowered, which makes air more or less dense.
The oral closure is released, and glottalic initiation is produced.

8. Glottalic Egressive – Ejectives
Also known as “glottalized”
Raised laryrnx – closed glottis pushes upwards, compresses air, pushes air out
[p’], [b’], [t’], [d’], [k’], [g’], etc.
Glotallic Ingressive – Implosives
Lowered laryrnx – closed glottis pushes downwards, makes air less dense, sucks air in
[], [], []

9. Steps in Glottalic Initiation
Ejectives
Close glottis
Make closure in oral tract
Raise larynx
Release oral closure
Open glottis
Implosives
Close glottis
Make closure in oral tract
Lower larynx
Release oral closure
Open glottis

10. Ejective
From Ladefoged 1993

11. Implosive
From Ladefoged 1993

12. Velaric Initiation
Tongue dorsum (back) closes at velum, as if making a [k] (Hence: velaric)
Make closure somewhere else, more forward, in mouth
Move tongue down (which decreases pressure)
Release front closure
Air rushes into mouth
Release velaric closure
Known as “clicks”

13. It is only possible to have ingressive velaric initiation; egressive is not possible
It is possible to overlay nasalization on clicks by sending air through nasal cavity

14. From Ladefoged 1993

15. Practice Practice glottal stops (uh-oh)
Practice raising glottis (singing high)
Practice lowering glottis (singing low)
Put together for Ejectives & Implosives…
Make glottal stop Make oral closure
Raise/Lower Larynx Release oral closure
Release glottal stop

16. Many have made clicks as “sound effects”
Bilabial clicks – slight kissing sound
Dental clicks – “Tsk tsk” sound
Alveolar lateral clicks – horse-calling sound

17. Self-Test Which initiation type? Pressure builds completely in mouth
Air in pharynx is rarified (made less dense)
First step is glottal closure
Most commonly made sounds
Compressed air in pharynx causes air to release with outwards with force

18. Also known as plosives
Common in some South African languages
First step is closure at soft palate
Also known as glottalized
Possible ingressives
Impossible sounds

19. Pressure builds completely in mouth
* VELARIC INGRESSIVE (CLICKS)
Air in pharynx is rarified (made less dense)
* GLOTTALIC INGRESSIVE (IMPLOSIVES)
First step is glottal closure
* GLOTTALIC INGRESSIVE & EGRESSIVE (IMPLOSIVES & EJECTIVES)
Most commonly made sounds
* PULMONIC EGRESSIVES (PLOSIVES)
Compressed air in pharynx causes air to release outwards with force
* GLOTTALIC EGRESSIVE (EJECTIVES)

20. Also known as plosives
* PULMONIC EGRESSIVE (PLOSIVES)
Common in some South African languages
* VELARIC INGRESSIVES (CLICKS)
First step is closure at soft palate
* VELARIC INGRESSIVE (CLICKS)
Also known as “glottalized”
* GLOTTALIC EGRESSIVE (EJECTIVES)
Possible ingressives
* PULMONIC INGRESSIVES (RARE), VELARIC INGRESSIVES (CLICKS), GLOTTALIC INGRESSIVES (IMPLOSIVES)
Impossible sounds
* VELARIC EGRESSIVES