english plosives
DESCRIPTION
Description of English plosivesTRANSCRIPT
These are oral consonants, i.e. the soft palate is raised blocking the nasal tract. A complete blockage of the mouth is produced by putting two articulators in close contact with each other. The air is released suddenly, producing an explosion. We distinguish three stages in the production of these sounds: Closure Compression Release
Voiceless bilabial plosive /p/
Spelling: Regular: pin – ape – lip – appear Occurs in initial, medial and final position. Exceptional: hiccough Silent in: pneumonia, psychology, receipt, cupboard, raspberry
[cʰ] [pʰɪn] [əˈpʰɪə]
[cc] [pɹeɪ] [pl eɪ] [pj ʊə]
[c ] [kʰæp tɪn] [tʰɒp dɒɡ] [ʃɒp ɡɜɫ] [slɪp pʰɑ.st] [hɪp bəʊn]
[kʰæp tʃɔɪs] [tʰæp dʒɔɪnt]
[cɴ ] [tʰɒpɴ məʊst] [læpɴ naɪn]
Initial clusters: [spin] [splaʃ] [spɹaʊt] [spjuːm] [pɹeɪ] [pl ʌm] [pj uːb ]
Final clusters: [kʰʌpɫ ] [læps] [ɡæsps]
Voiced bilabial plosive /b/
Spelling: Regular: bin – labour – lab – rabbit Occurs in initial, medial and final position. Silent in: comb – subtle – debt – limb
[c ] [əb tʰeɪn] [dʌb d] [ɒb dʒek t] [sʌb kʰɒnʃəs] [rɪb pʰeɪn]
[ɡləʊb bləʊ]
[cɴ ] [læbɴ mɑ.stə] [rɪbɴ n]
Initial clusters: [bləʊ] [bɹaɪt]
Final clusters: [tʰeɪbɫz] [kʰeɪbɫ ]
Voiceless alveolar plosive /t/
Spelling: Regular: tin – ate – pet – attorney Also: Thyme – Thames – parked – watched – pizza - blitz Occurs in initial, medial and final position. Silent in:castle – soften – mortgage - Christmas
[cʰ] [tʰɪn] [əˈtʰaɪə]
[cc] [tj uːb ] [twaɪs] but [tɹ] [tɹi.t] [stɹi.t]
[c ] [ðæt tɪn] [hɒt dɒɡ] [ðæt ɡɜːɫ] [lɒst pʰɑ.st] [hɪt bæk]
[ðæt tʃɔɪs] [ðæt dʒɔɪnt]
[cɴ ] [ðætɴ mæn] [kʰɔ.tɴ naɪn]
Initial clusters: [stɪk] [stjuː] [stɹəʊk] [tɹeɪ] [tweɫv]
Final clusters: [bɒtLɫ z] [bʌtɴ nz]
Voiced alveolar plosive /d/
Spelling: Regular: dig – ladder – lad Occurs in initial, medial and final position. Silent in: sandwich – grandfather – handsome - landscape
[c ] [bæd tʰaɪm] [ɡʊd deɪ] [ɡʊd dʒɒb ] [ɡʊd tʃɔɪs] [sæd pʰeɪn]
[ɡʊd bləʊ]
[cɴ ] [sʌdɴ n] [ædɴ mɪt]
[dɹ] [d ɹiːm]
Initial clusters: [dju.k] [dweɫ]
Final clusters: [rɒb d] [fəʊɫd ] [reɪzd ] [beɪðd ] [lʌvd ] [dʒʌdʒd ]
Voiceless velar plosive /k/
Spelling: kettle – occur – disc – conquer – racquet – stomach – chicken - taxi Occurs in initial, medial and final position. Silent in: muscle – knew - knit
[cʰ] [kʰɪt] [əˈkʰɔːd ]
[cc] [kj uː] [kwaɪt]
[c ] [bæk tʰaɪə] [blæk bɔ.d ] [dɑ.k ɡɹeɪ] [θɪk dʌst] [blæk kʰæt]
[dek tʃeə] [lɒk dʒɔː]
[cɴ ] [pækɴ mæn] [dɑ.kɴ naɪt] [beɪkɴ ŋ]
Initial clusters: [kwaɪət] [kjuː] [skɹiːm] [kɹaɪ] [skweə]
Final clusters: [bʌɫks] [bæsks] [bʌkɫ z]
Voiced velar plosive /ɡ/
Spelling: go – egg – spaghetti – rogue – guard - Occurs in initial, medial and final position. Silent in: sign – gnaw - diaphragm
[c] [ɡɜːɫ] [dɒɡ]
[c ] [bæg paɪp] [rʌɡ bi] [beɡ d] [wæɡ teɪɫ] [bɪɡ ɡeɪm] [bɪɡ kʰɑː]
[bɪɡ tʃeə] [bɪɡ dʒɔː]
[cɴ ] [dɒɡɴmə] [ɪɡɴ nɔː]
Initial clusters: [ɡwen] [ɡɹəʊ] [ɡləʊ]
Final clusters: [stɹʌɡɫ z] [bæɡz]
CRUTTENDEN, A. (2001) Gimson’s Pronunciation of English. 6th edition. Arnold. GB COLLINS & MEES (2008) Practical Phonetics and Phonology. A resource book for students. 2nd edition. Routledge. London O’CONNOR, J. (1998) Better English Pronunciation. CUP. London PONSONBY, M (---) How, Now, Brown Cow? Prentice Hall. London