Articulation in phonology refers to how we produce speech sounds by adjusting the shape of our vocal tract. It is the shaping of airflow to generate particular sound types.
In the study of sounds, known as phonology and phonetics, articulation is the process of using our mouth, tongue, teeth, and other parts of our vocal system to create distinct speech sounds. It's about modifying the stream of air coming from the lungs to form consonants and vowels.
Think of the air from your lungs as raw material. Articulation is the skilled craft of molding that air into specific sounds like 'p', 'm', 'a', or 'o'.
The Role of Articulators
Articulation involves the movement and positioning of what linguists call "articulators." These are the parts of your vocal tract that you use to shape the airflow.
- Lips: Used to make sounds like /p/, /b/, /m/, /f/, /v/, /w/.
- Teeth: Involved in sounds like /f/, /v/, /θ/ (as in think), /ð/ (as in this).
- Tongue: This is the most flexible articulator, crucial for a vast range of sounds, including:
- Tip/Blade: /t/, /d/, /n/, /s/, /z/, /l/, /r/, /ʃ/ (as in ship), /ʒ/ (as in measure).
- Back: /k/, /g/, /ŋ/ (as in sing).
- Alveolar Ridge: The bumpy area right behind your upper teeth, used for /t/, /d/, /n/, /s/, /z/, /l/.
- Hard Palate: The roof of your mouth, used for /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/ (as in church), /dʒ/ (as in judge), /j/ (as in yes).
- Velum (Soft Palate): The soft part at the back of the roof of your mouth, which can be raised or lowered.
- Raised: Blocks air from going into the nasal cavity for oral sounds.
- Lowered: Allows air into the nasal cavity for nasal sounds like /m/, /n/, /ŋ/.
- Uvula: The fleshy hanging part at the back of the throat (used for some sounds in languages other than English).
How Airflow is Shaped: Manner and Place
The provided reference highlights that articulation is "The shaping of airflow to generate particular sound types". This shaping happens in two primary ways, which are key concepts in phonology and phonetics:
- Place of Articulation: Where in the vocal tract the airflow is restricted or stopped. Examples include:
- Bilabial: Using both lips (e.g., /p/, /b/, /m/).
- Alveolar: Using the tongue tip/blade on the alveolar ridge (e.g., /t/, /d/, /n/).
- Velar: Using the back of the tongue on the velum (e.g., /k/, /g/, /ŋ/).
- Manner of Articulation: How the airflow is restricted or stopped. Examples include:
- Stops (Plosives): Completely stopping then releasing the airflow (e.g., /p/, /t/, /k/, /b/, /d/, /g/).
- Fricatives: Creating turbulence by narrowing the passage (e.g., /f/, /v/, /s/, /z/).
- Nasals: Lowering the velum to allow air through the nose (e.g., /m/, /n/, /ŋ/).
- Liquids/Glides: Less restriction, more vowel-like (e.g., /l/, /r/, /w/, /j/).
In summary, articulation is the physical process – the movements and positions of the articulators – that results in the distinct speech sounds we use in language, based on where and how the airflow is shaped.
