Phonics: Part 2: Definition of Terms

Parts of the human vocal apparatus:
-nasal cavity—the nose airway
-velum (“velar”)—the soft palate (behind the hard palate)
-hard palate (“palatal”)—the hard roof of the mouth at the front of the mouth behind the teeth
-aveolar ridge—the part of the hard palate immediately behind the teeth
-lips (“labial”)
-teeth (“dental”)
-tongue
-vocal cords—the structures in the throat that produce sound
-glottis—the elongated opening between the vocal cords at the upper part of the windpipe (larynx)




Terminology:
Voiced consonant—the vocal cords are vibrating when the consonant sound is pronounced

Unvoiced consonant—the vocal cords are not vibrating

Stops—consonants formed by completely stopping the flow of air somewhere in the vocal apparatus, and then releasing the air.

Affricates—consonants that are formed by stopping the flow of air somewhere in the vocal apparatus, and then releasing the air relatively slowly so that a friction-sound is produced.

Fricatives—consonants that are formed by impeding the flow of air somewhere in the vocal apparatus so that a friction-sound is produced.

Nasals—consonants that are formed by blocking the oral passage and allowing the air to escape through the nose.

Laterals—consonants formed by allowing the air to escape around the sides of the tongue.

Retroflex—a consonant formed when the tongue rises toward the roof of the mouth and then retracts toward the back of the oral cavity.

Semivowels—vowel-like consonants: that is, the air-flow is not stopped or impeded so as to cause a friction-sound, but the aperture through which the air passes is smaller than the aperture of any vowel.

Bilabials—consonants for which the flow of air is stopped or restricted by the two lips.

Labiodentals—consonants for which the flow of air is restricted by the lips and teeth.

Interdentals—consonants for which the flow of air is restricted by catching the tongue between the teeth.

Alveolars—consonants for which the flow of air is stopped or impeded by creating a block or a small aperture between the tongue and the alveolar ridge.

Alveopalatals—consonants for which the flow of air is stopped or impeded by creating a block or a small aperture between the tongue and the region of the hard palate just behind the alveolar ridge.

Velars—consonants for which the flow of air is stopped or impeded by creating a block or a small aperture between the tongue and the velum ("soft palate").

Rounded vowels— In articulating a rounded vowel, the lips are rounded.

Tense vowels—In articulating a tense vowel, the tongue and other parts of the vocal apparatus are relatively tense.

Lax vowels—With a lax vowel, the muscles of the vocal apparatus are relatively loose.

High vowels—vowels that are articulated with the jaw relatively high--that is, with the mouth nearly closed.

Mid vowels—vowels that are articulated with the jaw approximately in the middle of its range of vertical motion, that is, with the mouth about half open.

Low vowels—vowels that are articulated with the jaw relatively low, that is, with the mouth fully or almost fully open.

Diphthongs—vowel-phonemes articulated with a glide from one vowel to another.