новая папка / Classification of English consonant phonemes

4.Classification of English consonant phonemes.

**English consonant phonemes are classified according to six principles:** the active organ of speech, the place of obstruction, the work of the vocal cords, the position of the soft palate, the type of obstruction, and the manner of the production of noise.

**According to the active organ of speech**, consonants are labial, lingual and glottal. Labial consonants are those in which the lips are active. Lingual consonants are those in which the tongue is active. Glottal consonants are those in which the root of the tongue moves to the pharynx, as in [h].

**According to the place of obstruction**, consonants are bilabial, labio-dental, dental, alveolar, palato-alveolar, post-alveolar, palatal and velar.

**Bilabial** — the lips are brought together. Examples: [p], [b], [m], [w].

**Labio-dental** — the lower lip is against the upper teeth. Examples: [f], [v].

**Dental** — the tip of the tongue is at the upper teeth. Examples: [θ], [ð].

**Alveolar** — the tip of the tongue is against the alveoli. Examples: [t], [d], [n], [l], [s], [z].

*Palato-alveolar** — the tip and blade are against the alveoli, the front of the tongue is raised to the hard palate. Examples: [ʃ], [ʒ], [tʃ], [dʒ].

**Post-alveolar** — the tip of the tongue is against the back part of the alveoli. Example: [r].

**Palatal** — the front of the tongue is against the hard palate. Example: [j].

**Velar** — the back of the tongue is raised to the soft palate. Examples: [k], [g], [ŋ].

**According to the work of the vocal cords**, consonants are voiced and voiceless. Voiced consonants are weak (lenis). Voiceless consonants are strong (fortis). Voiced: [b], [d], [g], [l], [m], [n]. Voiceless: [p], [t], [k], [s], [h].

**According to the position of the soft palate**, consonants are oral and nasal. Oral consonants — the soft palate is raised, air goes through the mouth. Nasal consonants — the soft palate is lowered, air goes through the nose. Examples: [m], [n], [ŋ].

*According to the type of obstruction**, consonants are occlusive and constrictive. Occlusive consonants are those in which a complete obstruction is formed. Examples: [p], [b], [t], [d]. Constrictive consonants are those in which an incomplete obstruction is formed. Examples: [f], [v], [s], [z].

**According to the manner of production of noise:**

**Plosive consonants** are those in which the stream of air breaks the obstruction quickly and produces plosion. Examples: [p], [b], [t], [d], [k], [g].

*Affricative consonants** are those in which the stream is first stopped and then slowly released with friction. Examples: [tʃ], [dʒ].

*Fricative consonants** are those in which the stream of air produces friction. Examples: [f], [v], [s], [z], [h], [θ], [ð].

Sonorants** are sounds in which the musical tone is stronger than noise. They are nasal sonorants [m], [n], [ŋ], median constrictive sonorants [w], [r], [j], and lateral constrictive sonorant [l].