Pedagogy of English Pronunciation

(written December 6, 2019)

• Alveolar: a consonant sound made with the tongue touching the skin behind your top front teeth, (ex. “l,” “d,” “n,” or “t,” )

• Aspirate: to breathe out air while pronouncing a sound, (ex. “h” in “hat”)

• Fricative: sound that is made by pushing air out through a small space between your teeth and your tongue or lips, or between your tongue and the inside upper part of your mouth, (ex. “f” “z” and “th”)

• Labial: sound that is made using both lips closed together or with top teeth touching the bottom lip, (ex. “p” “b” “f” “v” or “m”)

  • Bilabial: sound that is made by using both the lips, (ex. “p” or “m”)

  • Labiodental: sound that is made when the top teeth touch the bottom lip, (ex. “f” and “v”)

  • Labiovelar: sound that is made by the lips and the upper back part of the mouth, (ex. “w”)

• Nasal: sound that is produced through the nose (ex. “m” or “n”)

• Plosive: sound which is made by quickly holding the breath and releasing it suddenly again, (ex. “k” “p” and “t”)

• Sibilant: making a “s” sound, (ex. “s” and “sh”)