Nasal plosion*

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

[ ^× ] [ ^× ] [ ^× ] [ ^× ]

When a plosive is followed by a homorganic nasal consonant, either syllabic or initial in a following syllable, the release of air is normally effected not by a removal of the oral closure, which is retained, but by the escape of the compressed air through the nasal passage, opened by the lowering of the soft palate for the nasal consonant, e.g. topmost, submerge, cotton, sudden.

A different kind of nasal release occurs when the nasal sonant following a plosive is not homorganic, e.g. abnormal, ignore, cheap nuts, bad man. In these cases the plosive closure is not normally released until the articulatory movements for the nasal consonant, i.e. the second oral closure and the lowering of the soft palate, have been accomplished.

pattern garden Agnes mitten cotton beaten kitten

fatten(v.) Eton didn’t leaden(a.) madden modern Eden

DRILL 33

Pharyngeal, constrictive, noise, voiceless

/  /

▼ ▼ ▼

[  ] [^♪ ] [^× ]

hot behead Tell him.

This consonant occurs only in syllable initial, pre-vocalic positions. The air is expelled from the lungs with considerable pressure, causing some friction throughout the vocal tract, the upper part of which is shaped in readiness for the articulation of the following vowel.

A voiced allophone occurs medially between vowels, e.g. in such words as perhaps, behind, anyhow.

The loss of / h / is usually considered characteristic of uneducated speech, but certain form words, e.g. have, has, had, his, him, regularly lose / h / in RP in unaccented, non-initial situations in connected speech.

hot hen head hit him horn hat

half habit hiss harp hard behest behead

behalf dehisce inhabit inhibit Kiss him. Kill him Tell him.

DRILL 34

Lax, central, mid-open, unrounded

/  /

[ ^‾ ] [ ^˅ ]

bud but

bun

This vowel is articulated with a considerable separation of the jaws and with the lips neutrally open; the centre of the tongue (or a part slightly in advance of centre) is raised just above the fully open position, no contact being made between the tongue and the upper molars.

bug cud mud hut cup stuck plum pun nut gun but

done duck sudden dozen bun - bunny fun - funny luck - lucky dust - dusty love - lovely pulp - pulpy puff - puffy

DRILL 35

CONTRAST /  / - /  /

bun – barn cud – card putt – part done – darn fuss – farce luck – lark luff – laugh bud – bard

cuff - calf cup - carp buck - bark bus - bask hush - harsh puck - park pus - pass bucket - basket

DRILL 36