Articulatory phonetics the production of speech the kinds of systems

involved: initiation, phonation and articulation.

Articulatory phonetics: a branch of phonetics which studies the way in

which speech sounds are made articulated by the vocal organs.

All speech sounds result from air being somehow obstructed or modified
within the vocal tract this involves:

1. Airstream mechanicals

The airstream initiated in the lungs follow the direction of the

trachea ➡ windpipe ➡ larynx and vocal tract (mouth and nose).

This type of airstream mechanism known as pulmonic egressive

(from the lungs outwards) is involved in all of the human languages e.g.
English and Romanian.

Sounds can also be generated from a difference in pressure of the

air inside and outside a resonator.

2. The vocal cords

In the larynx box, the air pushed out from the lungs meets the vocal
cords.

The vocal cords: are two flaps of muscles placed across the
windpipe and bound to the arytenoids cartilages

The vocal cords to modify their position and thus allow the air to
flow upwards in certain ways: (status of the vocal folds)

There are four statuses of the vocal cords

 wide apart: the vocal folds are wide apart for normal breathing and
usually during voiceless consonants like p, f, s

 Narrow glottis: if air is passed through the glottis when it is

narrowed the result is a fricative sound, it is called voiceless glottal
fricative.

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  Vibration: when the edges of the vocal folds are touching each
other, nearly touching air passing through the glottis will usually
cause vibration.

This opening and closing happens very rapidly and is repeated

regularly roughly between two or 300 times per second in
woman's voice and about half that rate in an adult men's voice.

 vocal folds tightly closed the vocal folds can be firmly pressed
together so that air cannot pass between them when this happens in
speech we call it a glottal stop or a glottal plosive which uses the
symbol ( ) this glottal stop can be found in the dialects spoken
in London cockney.

3. The pharynx

The next stop on our way along the vocal track is the pharynx. It
doesn't play an active part in the articulations of sounds its main role is

 to link the larynx and the rest of the lower respiratory system to its
upper parts
 it functions as an air passage during breathing the pharynx
branches into two cavities: the nasal cavity and oral cavity.

4. Oral and nasal sounds

The choice between the oral and nasal articulation depends on the
position of the soft palate or (velum).

The soft palate or (velum): is a muscular flap placed at the back end of
the pallet.

If the velum is raised and the nasal part closed, the air flows only
into the oral tract so that oral sounds are produced

If the velum is lowered, the air can flow both through the oral and
nasal cavities which lead to the articulation of nasal sounds.

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 5. Active and passive articulators

In the oral tract, the tongue and the lips which move during the
articulations of Sounds are considered to be active articulators.

Whereas the upper non-mobile surfaces of the mouth are usually

referred to as passive articulators.

The tongue is involved in the articulation of most speech sounds

either through an active or a comparatively more passive participant

It is the most dynamic of all speech organs and it is essential in

producing consonants, while its position in the mouth is very important
for differentiating among various classes of vowels.

Passive articulators can be the lower lip, the teeth the palette and
the pharynx wall.

By convention, the roof of the mouth is divided into the alveolar ridge,
the hard palate, and soft palate (often called velum) and uvula.

6. Manners of articulation

The manner in which a sound is articulated depends on the

distinction between the active and passive articulators this distance can
vary from complete closure to complete aperture.

1. STOP

Complete closure (stricture) /stop sounds

The air behind the blockage is released with a small outburst when
the blockage is removed. This is the way in which stops are produced.
Oral stops known as plosive are obstruent and nasal stops are sonorant

(Obstruent sounds): sounds involving a constriction. ‫انقباض‬

(Sonorant sounds): sounds which are produced with a relatively free

airflow.

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2. Fricative

The articulators are close together but stricture rests incomplete,

the air escapes through a very narrow passage with some friction
(turbulence noise).

3. Affricate

In affricates, the air is a slowly released through a narrow gap

between the articulators. Affricates do not behave like a sequence made
up of two sounds, but rather as one signal segment.

4. Glides

The glides are closely related to the corresponding high vowels e.g.
[ j ] in yet resembles the short vowel [ I ] in sing.

5. Vowels

Vowels in the articulation of vowels the air flows out unhindered

because the articulators are more or less wide apart.

Fortis and lenis

Fortis consonants are produced with greater articulatory effect,

more air pressure required by stronger resistance at the place of
articulation.

Lenis consonance require less intensity and tension the voiced

consonants are lenis and the voiceless consonants are Fortis

7. Plays of articulation

The production of a sound involves the movement of an active

articulator towards a passive one the articulators give the name of the
place of articulation of the respective sound.

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initiation

In phonetics, the airstream mechanism is the method by which airflow

is created in the vocal tract. Along with phonation and articulation, it is
one of three main components of speech production.

The airstream mechanism is mandatory for sound production and

constitutes the first part of this process, which is called initiation.

The organ generating the airstream is called the initiator and there are
three initiators used in spoken human languages:

 the diaphragm together with the ribs and

lungs (pulmonic mechanisms),

 the glottis (glottalic mechanisms), and

 the tongue (lingual or "velaric" mechanisms).

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