Consonants
Consonants
Consonants (/ˈkɒnsənənts/) are a basic type of speech sound that our vocal tract produces by completely or partially blocking the flow of air at some point along the tract. The term "consonant" is derived from the Latin word "consonantem" which means "sounding together" or "harmonizing".
Consonants are classified by voice, place, and manner of articulation. These classifications are used to describe exactly how a consonant is produced.
Voice
In phonetics, voice or voicing is a term used in the classification of speech sounds, particularly consonants. Voicing refers to the articulatory process in which the vocal cords vibrate.
Place of Articulation
The place of articulation refers to where in the vocal tract the airflow is constricted. This is determined by the articulatory gesture of the active articulator and the passive location.
Manner of Articulation
The manner of articulation refers to the nature of the obstruction of the vocal tract and how the airflow is affected.
Related Terms
- Vowels: Vowels are speech sounds that are produced without any significant obstruction in the vocal tract.
- Phonetics: Phonetics is the study of the physical sounds of human speech.
- Phonology: Phonology is the study of the way sounds function within a particular language or languages.
See Also
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