Exercise 2. Study the classification of English consonants and answer the following questions

Exercise 1.

Study the classification of English consonants and answer the following questions. Check up your answers with the key.

1) How many letters are there in the English alphabet and how many sounds do they give?

2) How many consonant phonemes are there in English?

3) What groups of consonants are found according to the type of obstruction and the manner of the production of noise?

4) What three groups are English consonants divided into according to the active organ of speech?

5) What passive speech organs may serve as points of articulation for interdental, alveolar, palato- alveolar and post-alveolar consonants?

6) What groups of consonants are found according to the work of the vocal cords?

7) What two groups of consonants are found according to the position of the soft palate? How are nasal consonants produced?

8) What plosive consonants do you know? Which of them are aspirated before stressed vowels?

9) Name alveolar consonants. Which of them are occlusive?

10) What constrictive fricative consonants and constrictive sonorants do you know?

11) Name affricates. What are they according to the place of obstruction?

12) Name forelingual, mediolingual and backlingual consonants.

13) What labial consonants do you know?

14) Name palato-alveolar consonants.

15) Name nasal sonorants. Are they occlusive or constrictive?

Say what common features the following groups of consonants have. Check your answers with the key.

1) [t, d, n, l, s, z, T, D, S, Z]

2) [m, n, N]

3) [t, d, n, l, s, z]

4) [k, g, N]

5) [w, l, r, j]

6) [p, b, m, w]

7) [p, b, t, d, k, g]

8) [T, D, s, z, l]

3. Occlusive Noise Plosive Consonants [p, b, t, d, k, g]

[p, b] are occlusive, noise, plosive, bilabial, oral consonant phonemes. [p] is voiceless, fortis; [b] is voiced, lenis.

The lips are brought together and form a complete obstruction. Then the lips open quickly and the air escapes with plosion. In case with [b] the vocal cords are brought together and vibrate; in case with [p] the vocal cords are kept apart and do not vibrate.

Remember: voiceless plosives [p, t, k] are aspirated before a stressed vowel, if not preceded by the sibilant [s]. To distinguish between the final voiced and voiceless plosives mind the length of the preceding vowels.

Exercise 1. ¯ /Track 1/

Distinguish between [p] and [b].

pit	bit	rope	robe
pat	bat	tripe	tribe
port	bought	tap	tab
pull	bull	cup	cub
pride	bride	rip	rib

[t, d] are occlusive, noise, plosive, forelingual, apical, alveolar, oral consonant phonemes. [t] is voiceless, fortis; [d] is voiced, lenis.

The tip of the tongue is pressed against the alveolar ridge which forms a complete obstruction. Then the tongue tip is quickly removed from the alveolar ridge and the air escapes with plosion. In case with [d] the vocal cords are brought together and vibrate. In case with [t] the vocal cords are kept apart and do not vibrate.

Exercise 2. ¯ /Track 2/

Distinguish between [t] and [d].

two	do	sight	side
ten	den	heart	hard
ton	done	plate	played
town	down	bat	bad
train	drain	set	said

[k, g] are occlusive, noise, plosive, backlingual, velar, oral consonant phonemes. [k] is voiceless, fortis; [g] is voiced, lenis.

The back of the tongue is brought into contact with the soft palate which forms a complete obstruction. Then the back of the tongue is quickly removed from the soft palate and the air escapes with plosion. The vocal cords vibrate in case with [g].

Exercise 3. ¯ /Track 3/

Distinguish between [k] and [g].

could	good	leak	league
cot	got	pick	pig
coat	goat	lock	log
cave	gave	ankle	angle
clue	glue	crow	grow

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