THE ORGANS OF SPEECH AND THEIR WORK

The air stream released by the lungs goes through the in!"i"e and comes to the laryn#, which contains the $%&al &%r!s.
The vocal cords are 2 elastic folds which may be 'e"t a"art or br%ught t%gether. The %"ening between them is called the
gl%ttis. This is the usual state of the vocal cords. If the tense vocal cords are brought together, the air stream forcing an opening
makes them vibrate and we hear some voice. Su&h s%un!s are &alle! $%i&e!( i) there is n% $ibrati%n( n% $%i&e is hear!* Su&h
s%un!s are &alle! $%i&eless* There is one more state of the vocal cords which results in the gl%ttal st%"* When the vocal cords
are brought close together and then opened suddenly by the air stream there comes a sort of coughing noise, this s%un! is &alle!
the gl%ttal st%"*
On coming out of the larynx the air stream passes through the "haryn#* The pharyngeal cavity extends from the top of the larynx
to the s%)t "alate( which directs the air stream either to the m%uth %r nasal &a$ities*
The soft palate can be easily seen in a hand mirror. The very end of the soft palate is called u$ula* The soft palate can easily
move. When the s%)t "alate is in its l%ere! "%siti%n the air g%es u" int% the nasal &a$ity an! then %ut thr%ugh the n%se*
When the s%)t "alate is raise! the u$ula )%rms a )ull &%nta&t ith the ba&' all %) the "haryn# an! the air stream g%es
thr%ugh the m%uth &a$ity*
ost of the palate is har!* This hard and fixed part of the palate is divided into 2 sections! the har! "alate an! the al$e%lar
ri!ge +%r the teeth ri!ge,* The alveolar ridge is very important in "nglish.
The most important organ of speech is the t%ngue. It divides into # sections! the ba&' "art %) the t%ngue +the "art( hi&h lies
%""%site the s%)t "alate,( the )r%nt "art %) the t%ngue +the "art )a&ing the har! "alate,( the bla!e "art %) the t%ngue an! its
e#tremely the ti" +the %ne lying un!er the al$e%lar ri!ge,( the &entral "art %) the t%ngue +the area( here the )r%nt an! the
ba&' meet,* The e!ges %) the t%ngue are 'n%n as the rims*
The li"s can take up various positions as well. They can be! br%ught )irmly t%gether( 'e"t a"art neutral( r%un!e!( %r
"r%tru!e! )%rar!*
$ll the organs of speech can be divided into 2 groups!
%. a&ti$e %rgans %) s"ee&h -+ name them,
2. "assi$e %rgans %) s"ee&h - +name them,
SO.NDS AND PHONE/ES
&peech sounds are grouped onto language units called "h%nemes* They are the smallest contrastive language units which exist in
the speech of all people belonging to the same language community. The "h%neme is a )un&ti%nal unit* That means that being
opposed to other phonemes in the same phonetic context it is capable of differentiating the meaning.
e*g. pie' tie lot' lit $re you fond of this &ut( ' $re you fond of this &art(
The phoneme is reali)ed in speech in the material form of s"ee&h s%un!s of different type.
0ari%us s"ee&h reali1ati%ns %) the "h%neme are &alle! its all%"h%nes* The difference between the allophones of the same
phoneme is due to their position in various phonetic contexts.
e*g* the consonant *d+ in the isolated position is a voiced consonant articulated with the tip of the tongue against the alveolar
ridge. In the position before an interdental constrictive *,+ -th. as in -breadth. it is formed with the tip of the tongue against the
upper teeth, when *d+ is followed by the post'alveolar *r+ as in -dry. the tip of the tongue is placed behind the teeth ridge.
0OWE2S AND CONSONANTS
There are 2 types of speech sounds! $%els an! &%ns%nants*
0%els are voiced sounds produced without any obstruction.
C%ns%nants are made with air stream that meets an obstruction in the mouth or nasal cavities.
CONSONANTS
On the articulatory level the consonants change!
3* The !egree %) n%ise
$ccording to the degree of noise "nglish consonants are divided into 2 big classes!
%. N%ise &%ns%nants / in the production of noise consonants there is a noise component characteristic. 0oise consonant
sounds vary!
' in the work of the vocal cords,
' in the degree of force of articulation
A&&%r!ing t% the %r' %) the $%&al &%r!s they may be voiced and voiceless.
The !egree %) n%ise may vary because of the force of articulation. Str%ng noise consonants are produced with more
muscular energy and stronger breath effort. Wea' noise consonants are produced with a relatively weak breath effort.
S%n%rants are made with tone prevailing over noise because of a rather wide air passage.
4* The manner %) arti&ulati%n
It is determined by the type of obstruction. The obstruction may be complete and incomplete.
When the obstruction is complete, the air stream meets a closure in the mouth or nasal cavities.
In the case of an incomplete obstruction the active organ of speech moves towards the point of articulation and the air
stream goes through the narrowing between them as in the production of "nglish sounds.
%
$ccording to the manner of articulation consonants may be of # groups!
O&&lusi$e
the air stream meets a complete obstruction in mouth. Occlusive noise consonants are called st%"s because the breath is
completely stopped at some point articulation and then it is released with a slight explosion, that is why, they are also called
"l%si$es* $ccording to the work of the vocal cords they may be voiced and voiceless. 1oiced stops are weak, voiceless are
strong.
The particular 2uality of a sonorant depends on the position of the soft palate. O&&lusi$e s%n%rants are also made with a
complete obstruction but the soft palate is lowered and the air stream escapes through the nose, so they are nasal*
C%nstri&ti$e
the air stream meets an incomplete obstruction.
3onstrictive noise consonants are called )ri&ati$es5 the air "assage is &%nstri&te! an! the air es&a"es thr%ugh the narr%ing
ith )ri&ti%n*
$ccording to the work of the vocal cords they may be voiced and voiceless.
$ccording to the force of articulation they may be weak and strong.
C%nstri&ti$e s%n%rants are also made with an incomplete obstruction but with a rather wide air passage4 so the tone prevails
over noise. They are all %ral( because in their production the soft palate is raised.
O&&lusi$e5&%nstri&ti$e +a))ri&ates,
are noise consonants produced with a complete obstruction which is slowly released and the air escapes from the mouth with
some friction. They are oral.
6* The "la&e %) arti&ulati%n
The place of articulation is determined by the active organ of speech against the point of articulation.
A&&%r!ing t% the "%siti%n %) the a&ti$e %rgan %) s"ee&h &%ns%nants may be7
2abial
are made by the lips. They may be bilabial an! labi%5!ental*
5ilabial are produced when both lips are active.
6abio'dental are articulated with the lower lip against the edge of the upper teeth.
2ingual are classified into )%relingual( me!i%lingual an! ba&'lingual*
F%relingual are articulated with the tip or the blade of the tongue. They differ in the position of the tongue. $ccording to its work
they may be!
' apical 7 the tip of the tongue is active8
' cacuminal 7the tip of the tongue is at the back part of the teeth ridge8
A&&%r!ing t% the "la&e %) %bstru&ti%n )%relingual &%ns%nants may be7
Inter!ental
are made with the tip of the tongue pro9ected between the teeth.
Al$e%lar
are articulated with the tip against the upper teeth ridge.
P%st5 al$e%lar
are made when the tip or the blade of the tongue is against the back part of the teeth ridge or 9ust behind it.
Palat%5al$e%lar
are made with the tip or the blade of the tongue against the teeth ridge and the front part of the tongue raised towards the hard
palate, the narrowing is flat.
/e!i%lingual
are produced with the front part of the tongue. They are always "alatal* They are made with the front part of the tongue raised
high to the hard palate.
8a&'lingual
are also called $elar, because they are produced with the back part of the tongue raised towards the soft palate.
The gl%ttal
is articulated in the glottis.
2