Classify the English consonant sounds according to the Manner of Articulation.
Manner of Articulation
Manner of articulation is the obstruction of air made by the organs may be total, intermittent, or partial, narrowing the air passage. Our lips, tongue, velum, and glottis can be positioned in different ways to produce different sound types.
Stops/Plosives
During the production of these sounds, the airflow from the lungs is completely blocked at some point, and then it is released. In English, Plosives are /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, and /g/
Fricatives
The flow of air is constricted, but not totally stopped or blocked. These sounds are formed by narrowing the air passage to such an extent that the air escaping produces audible friction. It creates some kind of hissing sound. In English, these Fricatives are /f/, /v/, /θ/, /ð/ /ʒ/, /ʃ/, /s/, /z/, and /h/.
Affricates
In the production of affricate sounds, more than one manner of articulation is involved. These sounds begin like stops, with a complete blockage of air/closure of the vocal tract, and end with a restricted flow of air like fricatives. English has basically two affricates – /tʃ/ and /dʒ/.
Nasals
Nasals are sounds made with air passing through the nose and are formed by a complete closure in the oral cavity. The soft palate is lowered so that the air is free to pass out through the nasal cavity. In English, these are /m/, /n/, and /ŋ/.
Laterals
Lateral consonants allow the air to escape at the sides of the tongue. In English, there is only one such sound-/1/
Approximants or Semi vowels
For producing these sounds, there is no obstruction of any kind. The articulators come close to each other but do not come in contact. In English, /j/ and /w/ are referred to as semi-vowels.
Read More: Discuss the different branches of phonetics.
