The 2 Affricate Sounds | tʃ & dʒ | English Pronunciation

Summary

This video discusses affricate sounds in English, focusing on two main ones: 'ch' (unvoiced) and 'j' (voiced). It explains how affricates are formed by combining a plosive (like 't' or 'd') and a fricative ('sh' or 'zh'), resulting in a new sound. The video provides detailed articulation techniques for both sounds, shares examples of common words, and explores spelling patterns associated with them. It also highlights voiced vs. unvoiced affricates and provides minimal pairs to practice, emphasizing the importance of correct pronunciation in avoiding misunderstandings.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ English has two affricate sounds: 'ch' (unvoiced) and 'j' (voiced).
• 📢 Affricates are consonant sounds formed by combining a plosive and a fricative.
• 🎯 The unvoiced 'ch' is formed by first producing the plosive 't' and then adding the fricative 'sh'.
• 🔊 The voiced 'j' is created by combining the plosive 'd' and the fricative 'zh', with vocal cords engaged.
• 💥 Affricates begin with a plosive (stop sound), followed by a fricative, and form a new, singular sound.
• 👅 The 'ch' sound is produced by placing the tongue on the alveolar ridge and releasing the closure for a sharp sound.
• 🎓 The voiced 'j' sound requires vocal cord vibration and is also formed with the tongue positioned near the alveolar ridge.
• 📖 Common spelling patterns for 'ch' include 'ch' (child, chicken) and 'tch' (catch, match).
• 📝 The 'j' sound is often spelled with 'j' (jump, juice), 'g' (age, large), or 'dg' (bridge, judge).
• ⚖️ Minimal pairs (rich vs. ridge, sheep vs. jeep) highlight the importance of distinguishing 'ch' and 'j' sounds to avoid changing word meanings.

Q & A

What are affricate sounds in English?

Affricate sounds in English are a combination of a plosive (stop) followed by a fricative, creating a new sound. The two main affricates in English are 'ch' (unvoiced) and 'j' (voiced).

How is the unvoiced affricate 'ch' formed?

The unvoiced affricate 'ch' is formed by first creating a plosive sound ('t') where the tongue touches the alveolar ridge behind the teeth, followed by a fricative sound ('sh') as air escapes through a narrow passage in the mouth.

What is the main difference between voiced and unvoiced affricates?

The main difference is that voiced affricates, like 'j', involve using the vocal cords, whereas unvoiced affricates, like 'ch', do not.

What are some common words that contain the 'ch' sound?

Common words with the 'ch' sound include child, chicken, beach, catch, match, picture, and nature.

How is the voiced affricate 'j' formed?

The voiced affricate 'j' is formed by first creating the plosive sound 'd' (using the vocal cords), followed by the fricative sound 'ʒ', similar to the 'sh' sound but voiced.

What are some common words that contain the 'j' sound?

Words containing the 'j' sound include jump, juice, just, major, enjoy, age, large, and judge.

What spelling patterns can represent the 'ch' sound in English?

The 'ch' sound is typically represented by 'ch' or 'tch' in words like child and match. In some cases, the sound is represented by 't' as in picture and nature.

What spelling patterns can represent the 'j' sound in English?

The 'j' sound can be spelled with 'j' (jump, juice), 'g' (age, large), or 'dg' (bridge, judge). It can also be represented by 'd' followed by 'u' or 'dj' in fast speech, like in education or graduate.

What are minimal pairs, and how do they relate to affricates?

Minimal pairs are words that differ by only one sound, and for affricates, this could mean pairs like 'rich' and 'ridge' or 'sheep' and 'jeep'. Incorrectly pronouncing the affricate sound could change the meaning of the word.

Why is it important to distinguish between voiced and unvoiced affricates in English?

It is important because voiced and unvoiced affricates can create different words with distinct meanings, as in the case of minimal pairs like 'cherry' and 'Jerry'. Proper pronunciation affects meaning and clarity in communication.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Introduction to Affricate Sounds in English

This paragraph introduces affricate sounds in English, specifically the sounds 'ch' (unvoiced) and 'j' (voiced). Affricates are referred to as semiplosives because they begin with a plosive followed by a fricative. The example of the affricate 'ch' is explained, where the first sound is a plosive and the second is a fricative, which together form a new sound. The articulation process of the sound 'ch' is detailed, highlighting the placement of the tongue and the release of air to produce the sound.

05:01

🔊 Voiced Affricate 'J' Sound and Spelling Variations

This paragraph focuses on the voiced affricate 'j' sound. It explains how this sound is formed similarly to 'ch', but with the vocal cords engaged. Words containing the 'j' sound are introduced, including various spelling patterns such as 'j', 'g', and 'dg'. The paragraph also covers the formation of minimal pairs, where small changes in pronunciation can result in different meanings, as seen in word pairs like 'rich' and 'ridge'.

10:02

🎯 Practicing Minimal Pairs for Affricates

This paragraph emphasizes the importance of practicing minimal pairs, which are word pairs that differ by only one sound. Examples of minimal pairs like 'rich' vs. 'ridge' and 'cherry' vs. 'jerry' are provided, helping learners avoid pronunciation mistakes that could change the meaning of words. It encourages practice to ensure correct pronunciation of affricate sounds, particularly in challenging word pairs.

Keywords

💡Affricate

An affricate is a type of consonant sound that begins with a plosive (complete closure of airflow) and transitions into a fricative (partial closure, causing friction). In the video, the affricates discussed are 'ch' (as in 'child') and 'j' (as in 'jump'). Affricates are also known as 'semi-plosive' sounds because they start with a burst of air, followed by a continuous sound.

💡Plosive

A plosive is a consonant sound produced by stopping the airflow using the lips, teeth, or palate, and then releasing it suddenly. The 't' in 'child' is an example of an unvoiced plosive, where there is no vocal cord vibration. Plosives are essential in the formation of affricates, as they provide the 'explosive' start to the sound.

💡Fricative

A fricative is a consonant sound made by forcing air through a narrow passage in the mouth, causing friction. The 'sh' sound in 'ch' is a fricative. In affricates, the fricative follows the plosive, combining to form a single sound. For instance, the 'sh' in 'child' completes the 'ch' affricate sound.

💡Unvoiced

An unvoiced sound is one where the vocal cords do not vibrate during articulation. In the video, 'ch' is an unvoiced affricate sound, as in 'child' or 'chicken.' The absence of vocal cord vibration differentiates it from its voiced counterpart 'j.'

💡Voiced

A voiced sound occurs when the vocal cords vibrate during the production of the sound. In the video, 'j' is a voiced affricate, as in 'jump' or 'juice.' The key distinction between voiced and unvoiced affricates is the involvement of the vocal cords.

💡Alveolar Ridge

The alveolar ridge is the bony ridge located just behind the upper front teeth. It plays a crucial role in forming sounds like the plosive 't' and 'd' in affricates. In the video, it's mentioned that placing the tongue on the alveolar ridge is necessary to form affricate sounds such as 'ch' and 'j.'

💡Minimal Pairs

Minimal pairs are pairs of words that differ by only one sound but have different meanings, such as 'rich' and 'ridge' or 'sheep' and 'jeep.' The video emphasizes the importance of minimal pairs in distinguishing between the affricates 'ch' and 'j,' as mispronunciation can lead to confusion between different words.

💡Phonemic Transcription

Phonemic transcription is a system that visually represents the sounds of speech. The video refers to phonemic transcription when explaining how the 'ch' sound is made up of both a plosive and a fricative. It helps students of phonology understand the composition and articulation of affricates.

💡Alveopalatal

Alveopalatal refers to the area between the alveolar ridge and the hard palate, where certain sounds are articulated. In the video, both 'ch' and 'j' are described as alveopalatal affricates, meaning they are formed by placing the tongue in this area, which is key to producing these specific sounds.

💡Spelling Patterns

The video explores various spelling patterns that correspond to the sounds 'ch' and 'j.' Common patterns include 'ch' or 'tch' for 'ch' sounds (e.g., 'match,' 'picture') and 'j' or 'g' for 'j' sounds (e.g., 'jump,' 'large'). Recognizing these patterns helps learners correctly pronounce and understand affricates in written English.

Highlights

Affricate sounds in English include 'cha' and 'ju', where 'cha' is unvoiced and 'ju' is voiced.

'Affricates' are also called 'semiplosives' because they start with a plosive sound and transition into a fricative.

Affricates are formed by combining a plosive sound with a fricative, creating a new consonant sound.

'Cha' is an unvoiced alveopalatal affricate formed by placing the tongue at the alveolar ridge and releasing air suddenly.

The plosive 't' in 'cha' is created by a closure at the alveolar ridge followed by a release, producing a small explosion sound.

The fricative 'sh' in 'cha' is formed by the tongue coming close to the palate without full closure, producing air friction.

The voiced version of the affricate is 'ju', created similarly to 'cha' but with the vocal cords engaged.

In 'ju', the voiced plosive 'd' forms by placing the tongue behind the teeth and releasing air while using the vocal cords.

In 'ju', the voiced fricative is formed like 'sh' but with the vocal cords vibrating to create the sound.

'Cha' is commonly spelled as 'ch' or 'tch' in words like 'child', 'chicken', 'beach', and 'match'.

'Ju' is often represented by the letter 'j' in words like 'jump', 'juice', 'just', and 'july'.

The sound 'ju' can also be represented by the letter 'g', as in 'age', 'large', and 'magic'.

Other spelling patterns for 'ju' include 'dg' in words like 'bridge', 'judge', and 'gadget'.

In fast speech, 'd+u' in words like 'education' and 'graduate' is pronounced as 'ju'.

Minimal pairs of 'cha' and 'ju' include pairs like 'rich/ridge', 'sheep/jeep', and 'cherry/jerry', highlighting the need for precision in pronunciation.

Transcripts

hello everybody

today we want to have a look at

affricate sounds

in english there are two

affricate sounds in english we have

cha and ju

the first sound ch is

unvoiced and the second one je

is voiced

now both of those sounds are consonant

sounds

and sometimes affricates are also called

semiplosive and that is

because they start with a plosive

let's have a look at that so

how are affricates formed

now when you have a look at the phonemic

transcript

you can see that ch

consists both of two individual

sounds we have a plosive

first the

and the second sound is a fricative

[Music]

so the first sound is a plosive remember

sometimes they are called stops

the second sound is a fricative and now

we put them together

to deform

and to form g

and they form one new sound

so they're not two separate sounds they

form

a new sound ch

now how is ch really formed

so i'll repeat first we have the

unvoiced plosive

and remember t is formed by putting the

tip of your tongue on the alveolar ridge

that is

just behind your teeth we have a closure

there

that is suddenly released and so the air

comes out and we can hear it

we can hear this mini explosion

the second sound the fricative is

sh you have to elevate your tongue a

little bit

just behind that alveolar ridge

the tongue comes close to the palette

but there's no full closure what we can

hear is the air friction

and now we're going to put both of those

together so

and together

it's quite a sharp sound and then

straight go to

shh becomes

so we also call this an unvoiced

alveopalatal affricate

sound it's quite a long name that is

important

for you who are studying phonology so

this is what the sound is called

let's have a look at some example words

containing we have

some very common words that i'm sure you

know already

for example the word child

child chicken

beach catch

match all of those words contain

the sound and the typical spelling

is ch or tch

here are some more examples of words

containing the sound

for example picture

future nature

feature creature

here the spelling is only

t but again that letter

is pronounced as ch

now what about the other affricate we

also have

a voiced version and it's actually very

similar the way they're formed the only

difference really is we use our vocal

chords

so we have the plosive d

it's formed in the same way as t but you

need to use your vocal chords to make

the sound

voiced d again there's closure

the tip of the tongue is just behind

your teeth

and is suddenly released to form the

sound

remember you can always do the check

with your hand

vocal chords are an action this is a

voiced sound

and then we have the fricative

again it's very similar the way we form

it to shh

the only difference really is that you

use your vocal cords

but the position of the tongue in the

mouth

is the same so de and

together become je

now here you have to put a little bit

more effort in compared to

che because you use your vocal chords so

d

[Music]

very good practice this a few times

until you get it right

now this sound is a voiced alveolar

palatal affricate sound again

very technical but for those of you

studying english phonology

this is important let's have a look at

some words containing the sound

for example jump

juice just

july major

enjoy a lot of very common words and you

can see

that here all of them have the same

spelling for the sound

ju the spelling is the letter

j this is the first spelling pattern

we could just have the letter j

representing

the sound je

but there are some more spelling

patterns let's have a look at some more

examples with

ja for example age

large magic

generous germany

teenager here all of the words

also have a j sound and that

j is represented by the letter g

so first we had j and now we have g and

both of those

have a j sound but there are some more

patterns

let's have a look at some more words

here

we have bridge

judge gadget

lodger knowledge

so another typical spelling is the

spelling pattern

d g

and that is not all and actually i just

wanted to say the word

judge has j twice we have a j

at the start and that is the le and the

sound ja

and then d and g and that is also just

so here you have

j ah j to form the word

judge the second example in my list

but there are some more spelling

patterns let's have a look at

the last set of words we also have the

word

soldier adjective

adjust education

graduate so other spelling patterns

could be

d dj or also

d plus u now education

can also be pronounced education

but very often when we speak fast it

actually becomes a j

education and the same for the last word

graduate usually becomes

graduate and the d u forms a

j in fast speech

there are of course some minimal pairs

as well

as always or

remember minimal pairs are pairs of

words

where all the sounds are exactly the

same apart from

one sound in the same position and so

that means we have to be very careful

because

if we get the sound wrong we actually

say

another word with a different meaning in

english so let's have a look at a couple

of minimal pairs for

ch we have first up

rich ridge

sheep jeep

cherry jerry

now jerry is a name that's why it has a

capital

j and last

h then the name of the letter

h and age

so practice these a few times to make

sure you get them right and you don't

say the wrong

word by mistake

you