N. V. Tatsenko introduction to theoretical phonetics of english

Figure 2.1 - Sounds Production



Speech organs or articulators produce the sounds of a language. Organs used for speech include the lips, teeth, alveolar ridge, hard palate, velum (soft palate), uvula, pharynx, larynx, vocal cords, epiglottis, oesophagus, trachea and various parts of the tongue. The most important active articulator is the tongue as it is involved in the production of the majority of sounds. The lower lip is another active articulator. But glottis is not an active articulator because it is only a space between vocal folds.
In accordance with their linguistic function the organs of speech may be grouped as follows (see fig. 2.2):




Figure 2.2 is a diagram that is used frequently in the study of phonetics. It represents the human head, seen from the side, displayed as though it had been cut in half. You will need to look at it carefully as the articulators are described, and you will find it useful to have a mirror and a good light placed so that you can look at the inside of your mouth.
The respiratory or power mechanism furnishes the flow of air which is the first requisite for the production of speech sounds. This mechanism is formed by the lungs, the wind-pipe and the bronchi.
The Lungs. The airflow is by far the most vital requirement for producing speech sound, since all speech sounds are made with some movement of air. The lungs provide the energy source for the airflow. The lungs are the spongy respiratory

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Figure 2.2 - The Organs of Speech


organs situated inside the rib cage. They expand and contract as we breathe in and out air. The amount of air accumulated inside our lungs controls the pressure of the airflow. Thus, the air-stream expelled from the lungs provides the most usual source of energy which is regulated by the power mechanism. Regulating the force of the air-wave, the lungs produce variations in the intensity of speech sounds. Syllabic pulses and dynamic stress, both typical of English, are directly related to the behaviour of the muscles which activate this mechanism. It is necessary that in order to produce a speech, the outward moving airstream must be modified by manipulation of the larynx and articulators in the oral and nasal cavities (see fig. 2.3):