Critical analysis of Phonemes/Sounds of Engli...

Critical analysis of Phonemes/Sounds of English/Place and Manner of Articulation and Description of Vowels and Consonants

Author Name : Ramen Goswami

ABSTRACT

Speech sounds are made with the help of current of air coming out of the lungs. The airthat is inhaled goes to lungs. When one speaks, the air is released in a certain way. There aresome organs of the human body that are used as organs of speech. At the top of the trachea orthe wind-pipe is the larynx. The larynx contains vocal cords. The vocal cords can be broughttogether or held apart. If they are held close together, they vibrate when the air coming fromthe lungs passes through them. This gives rise to a voiced sound. If they are spread apart, thesound is voiceless. Therefore, speech sounds can either be voiced or voiceless. The openingbetween the vocal cords is called glottis. After passing through the larynx, the air comes furtherup and it comes out through the mouth and/or the nose. The roof of the mouth is divided intothree parts. The alveolar ridge (also called the teeth ridge) is just behind the upper teeth. Theother two parts are the hard palate and the soft palate. The end of the soft palate is called theuvula.

Keywords: voiced, voiceless, palate, sound, organs