Короткі теоретичні відомості

Sonorants are sounds, pronounced with the tone prevails over the noise. Sonorants compromise seven sounds [m, n, ŋ, 1, w, r, j].

According to the manner of articulation sonorants may be occlusive [m, n, ŋ,] when a complete obstruction is formed and constrictive [1, w, j, r] pronounced with incomplete obstruction.Sonorants are subdivided into nasal and oral, depending on the position of the soft palate which defines the direction of the air stream. When the soft palate is raised the air goes to the mouth, so the sonorants are oral: [1, w, j, r]. if the soft palate is lowered the air escapes through the nose the sounds are nasal: [m, n, ŋ].

According to the direction of the air stream oral sonorants may be medial and lateral. If the air stream passes along the sides of the tongue lateral sonorant are produced [1]; if the air goes down the center of the tongue the sounds are medial: [w, j, r].

According to the place of articulation sonorants may be bilabial [m,w] when both lips take part in their formation; forelingual apical alveolar [n, 1] pronounced with the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge; post-alveolar [r] pronounced with the tip of the tongue against the back of the alveolar ridge; palatal [j] articulated with the front of the tongue raised to the hard palate; velar [n] when the back part of the tongue is against the soft palate.

Sonorants are voiced consonants but the oral sonorants [1, w, j, r] occur after voiceless consonants they are partly devoiced: little, apple,

Occlusive Nasal Sonorants

Definition [m] is occlusive, nasal, bilabial.

Articulation

1. The lips are firmly kept together.

2. The soft palate is lowered and the air goes through the nose.

3. The vocal cords vibrate.

Tongue Twister: Mary Mac's mother's making Mary Mac marry me.

My mother's making me marry Mary Mac. Will I always be so Merry when Mary's taking care of me? Will I always be so merry when I marry Mary Mac?

Definition [n] is occlusive nasal, forelingual, apical, alveolar.

Articulation

1. The tip of the tongue is pressed against the alveolar ridge.

2. The soft palate is lowered and the air escapes through the nose.

3. The vocal cords vibrate.

Definition [ŋ] is occlusive, nasal, backlingual. velar.

Articulation

1. The back part of the tongue is pressed to the soft palate

2. The soft palate is lowered and the air goes through the nose.

3. The vocal cords vibrate.

Constrictive Oral Sonorants

Definition [1] is constrictive, lateral, forelingual, apical, alveolar.

Articulation

1. The tip of the tongue is in firm contact with the alveolar ridge.

2. The soft palate is raised and the air goes freely to the mouth.

3. The sides of the tongue are lowered and the air can pass between them and the palate.

4. The vocal cords are brought together and vibrate.

Tongue Twister: Lazy lion is lying smiling at his lion cubs and lioness.

Definition [w] is constrictive, medial, bilabial, bicentral.

Articulation

1. The lips are firmly rounded and slightly protruded forming an incomplete obstruction.

2. The soft palate is raised and the air goes to the mouth.

3. The back part of the tongue is raised towards the soft palate forming the secondary focus.

4. The sides of the tongue are raised and the air goes along the central part of the tongue.

5. The vocal cords vibrate.

Tongue Twister: Swan swam over the sea. Swim, swan, swim! Swan swam back again. Well swum, swan!

My sister Wendy was twenty - one on Wednesday.

Will you, William? Will you, William? Will you, William? Can't you, don't you, won't you, William?

Definition [j] is constrictive, medial, mediolingual, palatal.

Articulation

1. The front part of the tongue is raised to the hard palate.

2. The sides of the tongue are raised and the air goes along the central part of it.

3. The lips are generally neutral or spread.

4. The soft palate is raised and the air escapes through the mouth.

5. The vocal cords are kept together and vibrate.

Definition [r] is constrictive, medial, forelingual, cacuminal, post-alveolar.

Articulation

1. The tip of the tongue is held in a position near to, but not touching the back of the alveolar ridge, the front part of the tongue is low and the back is rather high so that the tongue has a curved shape (cacuminal articulation).

2. The position of the lips is determined by that of the following vowel.

3. The soft palate is raised and the air flows quietly between the tip of the tongue and the palate.

4. The vocal cords vibrate.

Tongue Twister: Three grey rabbits in the grass grow roses for us.

Завдання до теми

Read the tongue-twisters:

1. Jack the jailbird jacked a jeep.

2. John, where Molly had had «had», had had «had had». «Had had» had had the teachers approval

3. Judicial system.

4. June sheep sleep soundly.

5. Just think, that sphinx has a sphincter that stinks!

6. In Hertford, Hereford and Hampshire hurricanes hardly ever happen.

7. Inchworms itching.

8. Is a pleasant peasant’s pheasant present?

9. Is this your sister’s sixth zither, sir?

10.  It’s not the cough that carries you off, it’s the coffin they carry you off in!

Контрольні питання

1. What is the main feature of sonorous consonants? Enumerate the English sonorants.

2. What advice regarding the position of the soft palate would you give to a fellow-student who pronounces sing as [siŋg] instead of [siŋ]?

3. What do sonorants have in common with and what differs them from other consonants?

4. What is the subdivision of the sonorous consonants according to the direction of the air stream in the mouth cavity?

5. Speak about the voicing of sonorants. Does a student of English make a phonetic or a phonological mistake if he does not observe partial devoicing of the sonorants in some positions?

6. Speak about the length of sonorants. Keeping in mind what you know about the positional length of the English sonorants what would you advise your fellow-student if he doesn't observe it?

7. What advice regarding the palatalization of the sonorous consonants would you give to a fellow-student who makes such errors in his pronunciation? Suppose a student pronounces lip as [лip] instead of [lip]. How would you correct the error regarding palatalization?

8. Speak about each sonorous consonant in detail.

9. What kind of mistake do Russian students of English make if they pronounce [n] instead of [ŋ] eg sing [sin] instead of [siŋ]?

10. Suppose your fellow-student pronounces the word sing as [siŋ]. Is the mistake phonetic or phonological? Keeping in mind what you know about the articulation of [ŋ] tell him or her what to do with the tongue and the soft palate to eliminate this error.

11. What is common in the articulation of the sonorants [r,j,w]?

12. What articulatory features of the consonants [n] and [1] differentiate the meaning of the words net and let?

13. What advice would you give your fellow-student who pronounces the Russian [j] instead of the English [j]?

14. How would your fellow-student probably pronounce the sonorant [w]? In what way can Russian pronunciation habits interfere?

15. How would a Russian learner of English probably pronounce the English [r]? Can you expect a phonological mistake?

Література: [4, c. 54-66].

Практичне заняття  № 15

Тема. Г олосні

     Vowels

Мета: to find out about articulatory peculiarities of vowels