Vowels & Consonants

Vowels & Consonants

1. Vowels

   • VOWELS ARE SOUNDS WHERE AIR FLOWS FREELY.
     • VOWELS CAN BE CLASSIFIED ALONG THREE PARAMETERS
       • TONGUE HEIGHT
         • HEIGHT REFERS TO HOW HIGH THE BODY OF YOUR TONGUE IS IN YOUR MOUTH.
       • TONGUE BACKNESS
         • BACKNESS REFERS TO HOW FAR FRONT OR BACK THE HIGHEST POINT OF YOUR TONGUE IS (AGAIN, A SIMPLIFICATION, BUT BASICALLY RIGHT).
       • LIP ROUNDING
         • ROUNDING REFERS TO WHETHER YOU ROUND YOUR LIPS OR NOT.

2. Consonants

   • CONSONANTS ARE BASICALLY ANY SOUND WHERE THE FLOW OF AIR OUT FROM YOUR LUNGS IS OBSTRUCTED IN SOME WAY.
   • PARAMETERS
     • PLACE
       • PLACE IS THE LOCATION OF THE OBSTRUCTION OF AIRFLOW.
         • THIS CAN BE CLOSURE AT
           • THE LIPS
           • TONGUE AT THE TEETH
           • THE ALVEOLAR RIDGE
           • HARD PALATE
           • THE BACK OF THE TONGUE AT THE VELUM
     • MANNER
       • IF IT'S JUST PARTIALLY BLOCKED AND CREATES A TURBULENT AIRFLOW, IT'S A "FRICATIVE" (THINK "FRICTION").
     • VOICING
       • VOICING REFERS WHETHER YOUR VOCAL CHORDS ARE VIBRATING