Practice in using the International Phonetic Alphabet

The Physics and Physiology of Speech. Una vez en la página, haz click en Phonetics GO. y pincha entonces en The Physics and Physiology of Speech

Consonants: Voicing and Place of Articulation. Una vez en la página, haz click en Phonetics GO. y pincha entonces en Consonants: Voicing and Place of Articulation

Consonants: Manner of Articulation. Una vez en la página, haz click en Phonetics GO. y pincha entonces en Consonants: Manner of Articulation.

Vowels. Una vez en la página, haz click en Phonetics GO. y pincha entonces en Vowels.

Acoustics. Una vez en la página, haz click en Phonetics GO. y pincha entonces en Acoustics.

Vowel and consonant description

Ejercicios

Standard English Place of Articulation. Una vez en la página, haz click en Phonetics GO. y pincha entonces en Acoustics.

Standard English Manner of Articulation. Una vez en la página, haz click en Phonetics GO. y pincha entonces en Acoustics.

Standard English Vowels. Una vez en la página, haz click en Phonetics GO. y pincha entonces en Acoustics.

Manner of Articulation

Describes the way in which a consonant sound is formed, referring to the way in which the airflow is restricted. Consonant sounds are divided into six manners of articulation: stops, fricatives, affricates, nasals, liquids, and glides.

Stop. The airflow is completely obstructed by the lips, teeth, and/or tongue when making these sounds.

Fricative This sound is produced with air escaping through a small passage, thus producing friction or a "hissing" sound.

Affricate. These sounds are a combination of a stop and a fricative that make one new sound. The sounds begin with a stop and end in a fricative.

Nasal.These sounds are similar to stops because they require a complete obstruction in the oral cavity; however, the airflow is forced into the nasal passage because the velum (soft palate in the mouth) is lowered in making a nasal sound.

Liquid. Liquids are similar to both consonants and vowels in how they are made. As in vowels, the airflow moves through the oral cavity with little obstruction. As in some consonants, the tongue is raised towards the alveolar ridge to make the sound.

Lateral Liquid. Made when the sides of the tongue are lowered and the airflow is allowed to flow outward. The tongue tip actually makes contact with the alveolar ridge in creating this sound.

Retroflex Liquid. Made when the tip of the tongue is curled up and back (a retroflexed position). The tongue is raised toward the alveolar ridge, but never actually touches it to make this sound.

Glide. These are vowel like sounds that come before and after true vowel sounds. Tongue position determines these sounds, as it does in vowels, thus, the glides are sometimes called semivowels.

State of Glottis/Voicing.

Refers to the position of the glottis and the vibration of the vocal chords in forming consonant sounds. Consonant sounds can be either voiced or voiceless. All vowel sounds are voiced.

Voiced. The vocal chords vibrate when making voiced sounds. All vowels and some consonants are voiced.

Voiceless. The vocal chords do not vibrate when making voiceless sounds. Some consonants are voiceless.

Vowels

Tongue Height.

Refers to the position of the tongue in reference to the roof of the mouth when making vowel sounds. Tongue Height can be high, mid, or low.

High/Close. The tongue is positioned high, near the roof of the mouth, to make these sounds

Mid. These sounds are produced when the body of the tongue is positioned in the mid section of the mouth, somewhere between the roof of the mouth and the bottom of the mouth.

Low/Open. These sounds are produced when the body of the tongue is positioned at the bottom of the mouth, farthest from the roof of the mouth.

Tongue Advancement.

Refers to the position of the body of the tongue compared to it in a resting position in the center of the mouth. Front, Central, and Back tongue advancement are used to describe vowel sounds.

Front. These sounds are produced when the body of the tongue is positioned forward of the resting position in the front of the mouth.

Central. These sounds are produced when the body of the tongue is positioned at resting position in the center of the mouth.

Back. These sounds are produced when the body of the tongue is positioned slightly to the rear of resting position, at the back of the mouth.

Muscular Tension.

Refers to the amount of muscular tension around the mouth when creating vowel sounds. Tense and lax are used to describe muscular tension.

Tense These sounds are produced with a great amount of muscular tension. They are often referred to as long vowel sounds.

Lax. These sounds are produced with very little muscular tension. They are often referred to as short vowel sounds.

Rounding.

Refers to the rounding of the lips in creating vowel sounds. Vowels can be either rounded (lips rounded or unrounded (lips not rounded).

Rounded This feature describes sounds formed in part by a rounding of the lips.

Unrounded. The lips are not rounded when making these sounds.

GAL

LERY:

Tongue height		Tongue advancement		Tongue height and advancement combined

Low (open)	High (close)	Front	Back	Close front	Open back

Lip shape (also called lip position, lip posture, lip rounding)

Glottis