The English Language english language

Phonetics and Phonology

Exercise
Using the data just above, say where [N] cannot occur in a word. How
are each of these nasal sounds ordinarily spelled?

Manner of articulation

By manner of articulation we mean the kind of closure or constriction
used in making the sound. We classify English consonants according to
three manners of articulation: stops (full stoppage of the airstream some-
where in the oral cavity between the vocal folds and the lips, as in [p], [b],
[m]); fricatives (constriction of the airstream in the oral cavity produc-
ing turbulence and noise, as in [f], [v]); affricates (full stoppage of the
airstream followed immediately by constriction, as in [tS], [dZ]). Table 2
summarizes the different manners of articulation.

Stops
[p] pad [b] bad [m] mat
[t] tad [d] dad [n] Nat
[k] cad [g] gad [N] tang

Fricatives
[f] fie [v] vie
[T] thigh [] thy
[s] Sue [z] zoo
[S] shoe [Z] jus (au jus)
[h] how

Affricates
[tS] chin
[dZ] gin

table 2: manners of articulation

Exercise
For each of the sounds listed in Table 2, collect five words in which the
sound occurs as the last sound of the word and another five in which
the sound occurs in the middle of the word (specifically, between two