Phonological and non-phonological features in the system of english consonants (10)

In phonology the basic method of establishing the phonemic status of a sound is the method of finding minimal pairs. The method consists in finding at least one pair of words which are different in respect of that sound: pit – bit. When two words are identical except for one sound which makes a contrast in the meaning of words, they are said to form a minimal pair. The minimal pair may be 2 words or 2 gram-l forms of a word: man – men. Thus, the function of phonology is to relate the phonetic events of speech to gr-l units operation at the morphological, lexical, syntactic and semantic levels of lang-e.

Sounds are grouped into classes according to the features which are distinctive for the particular language. In English the following features are distinctive for consonants:

type of obstruction:

occlusive (in the production of which a complete obstruction is formed): [pul];

constructive (an incomplete obstruction is formed): [ful]:

place of articulation:

1. labial: [p], [b], [m], [w];

2. labio-dental (cons-s are articulated with the lower lip against the upper teeth): [f], [v];

3. dental (articulated against the upper teeth either with the tip: [θ], [ð] or with the blade of the tongue);

4. alveolar (cons-s are articulated by the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge): [t], [d], [n], [l], [s], [z];

5. palatal: [j];

6. alveolar-velar: [ł]

7. glottal (are produced in the glottis): .

manner of production of noise:

1. plosive oral stop: [p], [b], [t], [d], [k], [g];

2. fricative:

3. affricate: [t], [dж];

4. approximant.

2. Presence or absence of voice:

1. voiced (lenis): [b], [d], [g], [dж], [v], [ð], [z], [ж], [m], [n], [ŋ], [w], [l], [r], [j];

2. voiceless (fortis); they are pronounced with greater muscular tension and a stronger breath force: [p], [t], [k], [t], [f], [θ], [s], [], [h].

3. Position of the soft palate and the velum:

1. oral (consonants are produced when the soft palate is raised and the air escapes through the mouth): the rest of the consonants;

2. nasal (consonants are produced with the soft palate lowered while the air-passage through the mouth is blocked. As a result, the air escapes through the nasal cavity): [m], [n], [ŋ].

In each minimal pair the opposition is based either on:

• one feature (single opposition): [pit – bit]: voiceless (fortis) vs. voiced (lenis);

• two features (double opposition): [til – bil]: voiceless (fortis) vs. voiced (lenis) and alveolar vs. labial;

• more than two features (multiple): [fil – bil]: voiceless (fortis) vs. voiced (lenis), labio-dental vs. labial, fricative vs. oral stop (plosive).

10. Практическая часть

[f] – [g]: leaf – league

multiple opposition: 1) voiceless vs. voiced

2) fricative vs. plosive

3) labio-dental vs. velar

[m] – [b]: rim – rib

single opposition: nasal vs. oral (plosive)

[z] – [t]: zest – test

double opposition 1) voiced vs. voiceless

2) fricative vs. plosive

[s] – [θ]: sick – thick

single opposition 1) alveolar – dental

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