Speech Sounds in English

Summary

This educational video script delves into the intricacies of English speech sounds, emphasizing the distinction between vowel and consonant sounds. It explains how understanding the mechanics of sound production, such as places of articulation in the vocal tract, can enhance pronunciation and communication in English. The script provides clear examples of short and long vowels and encourages learners to practice to improve their speaking skills, highlighting the importance of minimal obstruction for vowel sounds and the various modifications for consonant sounds.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ The class focuses on understanding speech sounds in English, emphasizing the difference between written symbols and spoken sounds.
• 📚 Learning the mechanics of sound production, such as places of articulation in the vocal tract, helps in better understanding and comparing sounds across languages.
• 🌐 The goal is to improve English pronunciation by focusing on the specific features that differentiate native language sounds from English sounds.
• 🎯 Paying attention to the differences in sounds can enhance pronunciation, boost confidence, and improve communication effectiveness.
• 🔊 Vowel sounds are fundamental to building words and are produced with minimal obstruction in the vocal tract, allowing for a longer duration of sound.
• 🔊 Consonant sounds, in contrast, involve more significant modifications to the exhaling flow of air, resulting in shorter, more obstructed sounds.
• 📝 Vowels can be distinguished as short or long, affecting word meanings, as demonstrated with examples like 'seat' vs. 'sit' or 'book' vs. 'zoo'.
• 🌐 The script encourages learners to explore the sounds in their primary languages to better understand and apply these distinctions in English.
• 📈 The chart of 25 sounds introduces different types of consonants, including oral and nasal sounds, and their places of articulation.
• 📍 Places of articulation are crucial for understanding consonant sounds and include areas like the velum, palate, alveolar ridge, teeth, and lips.
• 👄 The distinction between oral and nasal sounds is made by the movement of the uvula, which either blocks or allows air through the nasal cavity during speech.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the class discussed in the script?

The main focus of the class is on speech sounds in English, particularly the distinction between consonant and vowel sounds, and how understanding these sounds can improve English pronunciation and communication.

Why is it important to understand the mechanics of sound production in our vocal tract?

Understanding the mechanics of sound production helps learners to better compare and understand the differences between the sounds of English and their native languages, which in turn can improve their English pronunciation and speaking skills.

What is a vowel sound and how is it typically produced?

A vowel sound is a speech sound produced with minimal obstruction of the exhaling flow of air in the vocal tract, allowing for a more extended duration of sound compared to consonant sounds.

What is the difference between a long vowel sound and a short vowel sound?

The difference between a long vowel sound and a short vowel sound lies in the duration of the sound. Long vowel sounds are sustained for a longer period, while short vowel sounds are brief.

Can you provide an example of words that demonstrate the difference between short and long vowel sounds?

Examples include 'cat' and 'cat' with a silent 'e' at the end, 'sit' and 'seat', and 'book' and 'cook', where the difference in vowel length changes the meaning of the words.

What is a consonant sound and how does it differ from a vowel sound?

A consonant sound is produced with more obstruction in the vocal tract compared to a vowel sound. Consonants cannot be sustained for as long as vowels because they involve a significant modification of the exhaling flow of air.

What are the two main types of sounds discussed in the script, and how do they relate to English language learning?

The two main types of sounds are consonant sounds and vowel sounds. Understanding these sounds is crucial for English language learners to improve their pronunciation and to distinguish between similar but differently articulated sounds.

How does the script suggest improving English pronunciation?

The script suggests that by paying attention to the specific features of English sounds and understanding the differences between the sounds of one's native language and English, learners can improve their pronunciation and speaking skills.

What is the significance of understanding the places of articulation for consonant sounds?

Understanding the places of articulation helps learners to produce consonant sounds accurately. It clarifies how different sounds are formed by the interaction of the tongue, teeth, lips, and other parts of the vocal tract.

What is the distinction between oral and nasal sounds?

Oral sounds are produced when the air flow is primarily through the oral cavity, while nasal sounds involve air passing through both the oral and nasal cavities, which creates a different resonance.

Why is it suggested to practice the sounds of English separately if they are not part of one's native language?

Practicing English sounds separately is suggested because certain sounds may not exist in one's native language. This practice helps learners to accurately produce these unique sounds and avoid confusion with similar sounds from their native language.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to English Speech Sounds

The video script begins with an introduction to the study of speech sounds in English, emphasizing the difference between how sounds are articulated and represented in writing. It suggests that understanding the mechanics of sound production, including the various places of articulation in the vocal tract, can enhance the ability to compare and improve English pronunciation. The goal is to improve spoken English by focusing on the specific features that differentiate English sounds from those of the viewer's native language, ultimately boosting confidence and communication effectiveness.

05:01

🎶 The Fundamentals of Vowel and Consonant Sounds

This paragraph delves into the distinction between vowel and consonant sounds, highlighting vowels as the fundamental building blocks of words due to their minimal obstruction in the vocal tract. The script explains that vowel sounds are produced with a free flow of air, unlike consonants, which require more significant modifications to the airflow. It also touches on the concept of vocalic elements being inherent in consonant sounds when elongated, leading to a natural transition to vowel sounds if one attempts to extend a consonant beyond its typical duration in speech.

10:02

🔍 Exploring Vowel Sounds and Their Variations

The script continues with an exploration of vowel sounds, discussing the concept of long and short vowels using examples such as 'father' and 'father sound' to illustrate the difference. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing these distinctions to avoid confusion in meaning, as seen in words like 'seat' and 'sit'. The paragraph encourages viewers to find more words to practice identifying short and long vowel sounds, focusing on the sounds of 'a', 'e', and 'o', and their longer counterparts, which are common in many languages, including English.

15:04

🌐 Comparing Vowel Sounds Across Languages

The fourth paragraph encourages viewers to compare the vowel sounds discussed with those in their primary languages, suggesting that this comparison can enhance understanding and pronunciation in English. It reiterates the importance of being aware of the sounds in one's native language and how they may differ from English sounds, which can impact the learning process. The script also invites viewers to examine the provided chart of 25 sounds, many of which are part of the English language, to understand the variety of consonant sounds.

20:04

📖 Understanding Consonant Sounds and Articulation

This paragraph introduces the concept of consonant sounds, explaining that they are produced by modifying the exhaling airflow at various places in the vocal tract. It describes different types of sounds based on their place of articulation, such as velar, palatal, retroflex, dental, and bilabial sounds. The script provides examples of each type and encourages viewers to practice identifying and producing these sounds to improve their English pronunciation.

25:05

🗣️ The Role of the Tongue in Sound Articulation

The script explains the role of the tongue in the production of speech sounds, highlighting its movement between fixed places in the vocal tract such as the velum, palate, alveolar region, teeth, and lips. It describes how the tongue interacts with these areas to create different sounds and emphasizes the importance of understanding these mechanics for better pronunciation. The paragraph also introduces the distinction between oral and nasal sounds, explaining how the uvula's position affects the airflow through the nasal or oral cavity.

30:07

📝 English Consonant Sounds and Their Articulation

The final paragraph focuses on the specific consonant sounds in English, providing a chart of 24 English sounds and their places of articulation. It distinguishes between bilabial, labiodental, dental, alveolar, post-alveolar, palatal, velar, and glottal sounds. The script advises viewers to practice these sounds, paying attention to their correct production and the differences from their native language sounds. It concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding the English sound system for improved pronunciation and communication.

Keywords

💡Speech Sounds

Speech sounds refer to the distinct sounds that are produced when speaking a language. In the context of the video, the focus is on understanding the mechanics of how these sounds are produced in English, which can differ from their written representation. The video emphasizes paying attention to these sounds to improve English pronunciation.

💡Vowel Sounds

Vowel sounds are fundamental speech sounds produced with minimal obstruction in the vocal tract. The video highlights their importance in building words and contrasts them with consonant sounds. Examples include 'ah,' 'ee,' and 'oo,' which are produced with a free flow of air and can be sustained for longer durations.

💡Consonant Sounds

Consonant sounds are speech sounds produced with significant modification or obstruction of the airflow in the vocal tract. The video explains the production of consonant sounds through different places of articulation, such as the lips, teeth, and palate. Examples include 'p,' 't,' and 'k,' which require precise movements of the tongue and other speech organs.

💡Places of Articulation

Places of articulation refer to the specific areas in the vocal tract where the airflow is modified to produce different speech sounds. The video details several such places, including the velum, palate, alveolar region, teeth, and lips, and how each contributes to the creation of distinct consonant sounds.

💡Exhaling Flow of Air

The exhaling flow of air is crucial for the production of speech sounds. The video explains that during exhalation, the airflow is modified at different points in the oral tract to produce both consonant and vowel sounds. This process distinguishes the production mechanisms of different types of sounds.

💡Minimal Obstruction

Minimal obstruction refers to the slight modification of the airflow in the vocal tract during the production of vowel sounds. The video uses this concept to explain why vowel sounds can be sustained for longer periods compared to consonant sounds, which require more significant airflow modifications.

💡Nasal Sounds

Nasal sounds are produced when the airflow is directed through the nasal cavity, typically involving the lowering of the uvula. The video contrasts these sounds with oral sounds, explaining that examples like 'm' and 'n' involve airflow through both the oral and nasal cavities.

💡Oral Sounds

Oral sounds are produced when the airflow is directed exclusively through the oral cavity, with the uvula raised to block the nasal cavity. The video explains that most consonant sounds, such as 'p' and 't,' fall into this category, emphasizing their production mechanisms.

💡Retroflex Sounds

Retroflex sounds are produced by curling the tongue backward to touch the alveolar ridge. The video explains that sounds like 't' and 'd' are examples of retroflex sounds, highlighting their unique place of articulation in the oral tract.

💡Bilabial Sounds

Bilabial sounds are produced by bringing both lips together. The video provides examples such as 'p' and 'b,' explaining how the lips' closure and release produce these specific speech sounds. These sounds are essential for understanding the mechanics of English pronunciation.

Highlights

Introduction to the class and the topic of speech sounds in English, emphasizing the difference between spoken sounds and written symbols.

The importance of understanding the mechanics of sound production for better English pronunciation.

The goal of improving English speaking by focusing on the differences between native language sounds and English sounds.

The division of speech sounds into two main types: consonant sounds and vowel sounds.

Vowel sounds are fundamental for building words and are produced with minimal obstruction in the vocal tract.

Consonant sounds are produced with more obstruction and modification of the exhaling air flow.

The ability to pronounce vowel sounds for a longer duration compared to consonant sounds.

The distinction between short and long vowel sounds and their importance in word meaning.

Examples of short and long vowel pairs, such as 'ah' and 'father', 'e' and 'clean', 'o' and 'zoo'.

The necessity to practice and compare English sounds with those of one's native language for better understanding.

Introduction to the chart of 25 consonant sounds and their relevance to English and other languages.

Explanation of the different places of articulation for consonant sounds, such as velar, palatal, alveolar, dental, and bilabial.

The difference between oral and nasal sounds, and how the uvula plays a role in their production.

Practice suggestions for understanding the places of articulation for improved English pronunciation.

A chart of specific English sounds with their places of articulation, including bilabial, labiodental, dental, alveolar, post-alveolar, palatal, velar, and glottal.

The need for modification in the way we speak English to avoid incorporating sounds from our native languages.

Encouragement for students to practice the English sounds and understand their production for better communication.

Transcripts

[Music]

hello and welcome to the class

today we will talk about speech sounds

in english

we know that sounds

that we speak are different from

how they are represented with the use of

symbols

in writing so

we are going to pay attention to

sounds the way they are spoken

as a note on this discussion on sounds

once we understand the mechanics

underlying production of these sounds

the different places of articulation

in our vocal tract then

we understand these sounds better

we compare these sounds better

with the sounds of our own language

you know that all of us speak

a language or multiple languages

other than english our goal is to

improve our speaking of english

we want to sound better when we speak

english

in order to sound better

instead of practicing things blindly

if we pay attention to the specifics

of the things that make difference

between the languages that we speak that

is the sounds of the languages that we

speak natively

and sounds of english

if we understand the differences

properly if we understand

specific features of sounds in english

then it becomes

quite easier for us to improve our

english

speaking it becomes easier for us to

improve our pronunciation

and then we sound better and the moment

we start sounding better that adds

to our confidence effectiveness

and better communication we we know

these things we have to keep this in

mind that

a careful note a careful attention to

these things

are going to add to the subconscious

learning

process so let's go to go straight

to understanding sounds as we know

all sounds can be divided into two parts

two types they are consonant sounds

and vowel sounds vowels are more

fundamental speech sounds

because they are basic for building

words we will continue talking about

them

as well for the timing we are going to

look at consonants and vowels and

in particular for today consonants in

little greater details so

look at this we we are talking about

a sound like uh

we are talking about a sound like ah we

are talking about a sound like

e e

this is e

now you can

you can tell that these are vowel sounds

why are they vowel sounds what do we

mean by vowel sounds

and more specifically what are the

differences between these sounds

let's very briefly look at it because

we want to look at consonant

sounds as well and then having

understood the details of consonant

sounds we will come back

to vowel sounds one more time

now vowel sounds are produced

without much obstruction in the vocal

tract

allow me to give you a note here about

vocal tract

and the

process of production you see

look at this picture this

picture details out articulators

in our vocal tract but

i at this moment i want your attention

to that

you know we breathe air in

we breathe air in

through this and then all the way

it goes to our lungs

it has other purposes for

our survival and our physiology

however exhaling flow of air

is responsible for production of speech

sounds

when we breathe in we also breathe

out there is a

function of lungs it retains

the kind of things that it needs and

remaining

gets exhaled

the exhaling flow of air is responsible

for speech sounds not the inhaling flow

when we exhale the flow of air

gets modified at different places

in our oral tract to give us

different kinds of sounds both consonant

sounds

and vowel sounds i'll detail them out to

you

that is different places of articulation

for different sounds we will come back

again

and do that the point that i am trying

to make here

is the exhaling flow of air

gets modified to

a great extent in multiple ways for

production of consonant sounds

but exhaling flow of air

gets modified in a very minimal way

for production of vowel sounds we can

also say

vowel sounds are free

vowel sounds are produced from free flow

of air

that sounds little bit of exaggeration

because no

sound gets produced from free flow

it it there has to be some bit of

obstruction

some bit of modification for production

of sound

so we say vowels are produced

with minimal obstruction of

exhaling flow of air in our oral tract

that is just for you to explain we we

brought this picture in

to explain you just this part with

little modification

vowel sounds with more and different

kinds of modifications

we get consonant sounds so that's the

fundamental distinction between

vowel sounds and consonant sounds so

going back to when we look at vowel

sounds

try saying these vowel sounds for

yourself and then you will realize

what we mean by free what people mean

when they say free

and what we mean when we say minimal

obstruction so we can say ah

ah the impact of this minimal

obstruction

is the thing that we can we can

articulate we can pronounce we can say a

vowel sound for

longer duration of time until as much as

we can hold our breath so for example

you just

try saying uh or ah we can continue

saying like

ah something of this

this type e but

a consonant sound this will not be

possible for a consonant sound

we if we try saying it saying a

consonant sound for a longer duration

then what we end up lending

again is a vowel sound that is inbuilt

vocalic sound

er and not the actual consonant take an

example

so when you say you if you

make it for a longer duration of time

what

allows you to make it longer is the

vocalic element

in the curve not the consonantal element

so these are the fundamental differences

between

vowel sounds and consonant sounds

so that's that's one distinction so what

we know is we can produce a vowel sound

for a longer duration of time

but in normal speech we don't

produce produce a vowel sound for

longer duration of time in fact uh

we we don't produce it for too long at

all

just say the words like a cup

you have we have a vowel sound er here

we make it very short

depending upon the kind of word we have

so

up up we have

a as a vowel sound in cup we again have

a as a vowel sound

then we have a as in words like

father sound round

again like

like i said this in the beginning the

way we say

a particular word is very different from

how they are written

so at this point i have written them as

english

as as the way they are written in

english with their spellings

and the symbols the way they are used

but i want your attention

to the sounds so you know that uh

the the first sound after so

let's say we have in these three three

words

father sound and round you have first

consonant

sound and the second vowel sound that

you have

is an example of long vowel father

sound round

so ah after pha in father

ah after sir in sound and ah

after in the word round

and likewise we have vowel sounds we see

in ink sink drink

so here short e

at the initial position in these two

words and

short e at non-initial positions in the

remaining

of the two words are there in these four

words

so we have a sho an example of short e

and then long e long e

in words like clean seat beat

feet when we when we read these words

clean this word has

a long vowel sound after ka and la

in the word seat we have a long vowel

otherwise

it's only the length of the vowel that

makes a difference

between these two words like seat and

sit

only three sounds involved

in the word seat sit

sir so

long vowel in seat short vowel

in sit that's the distinction

between these two words which mean two

different things

so you see the example of long vowels

long and short vowel e in these two

in these words then you have again

examples of

short o the distinction between short o

and long

look at these two in words like book

cook look in all these three words

you have after c the vowel that you have

is an example of short o and

in these words like zoo boot

room the example of vowel

that you have is an example of a

long vowel the

examples are quite clear to you

i hope and i'm sure they are

clearer and when you pay attention to

this

it becomes much clearer what i want you

to do

is to find more words and look for

these exam these distinctions between

short and long counterpart of these

vowels

i am i'm purposely discussing only

few vowel sounds for two reasons one

i want your attention to the specifics

of

how vowel what is the mechanism

underlying production of vowel sounds

second i want you to look at the

distinction between

short and long pair there are lot more

vowels available in any language not

only six

but i am giving you five examples to

make these distinctions for yourself

so as you can see we have three pairs

and the distinction between these

is they are the pair is short and long

short and long short and long

so we have just three vowels a

e and o and we have counterparts

of longer duration the pronouns for

longer duration

of the same vowel which gives us three

new sounds like

[Music]

and these are fundamental

vowel sounds which are largely available

in most of the languages including

english

as you see from these examples i also

invite you

to check these sounds in the languages

that you

speak primarily again i make the

distinction

time and again time to time i keep

talking about

your primary language all i mean is

we all of us have another language with

us

other than english if we keep paying

attention to that language all

as well if we see do these things

apply to those languages as well they

have

your your attention to your own language

has impact on your efforts

in learning of english as well then you

become more aware and conscious or

causes about the sounds in

english and the way these sounds are

produced

in english one more time

the distinction between these vowels

should be clearer to you

and we will come back to this after we

have done

some bit of practice in that with that

we move to a discussion on

some some

consonant sounds and those consonants

i'll i'll specifically

tell you that

the this discussion may not be directly

applicable to english consonants

like i have i have mentioned that the

six vowel sounds that we have discussed

are part of english invent inventory of

sounds in english as well

however the vowels the consonant sounds

that we are going to discuss

may not be may all of them may not be

part of english

but allow me to describe this thing to

you

and then i take you to english sounds

where you can see you can see the

distinction

with a closer look so what what is it

that i am

asking you to do is just to look at

these 25 sounds there are 25 sounds in

this chart

and i want you to look at this many of

them

are available in english many of them

are available in languages that you

speak

and many of them are definitely

available

in english when we indians speak english

therefore i want your attention to this

chart

and how do let's let's go into the

details

so how this chart helps us understand

consonant sound

so here here we go you see

we have so so what are these sounds

first of all let me read them to you

and here is the last one

i am keeping this separate and

i also want you to look at this

and so we have

and then we have this nasal sound na

so then you can look at this

then we have to

[Music]

first point to note out of this

chart of 25 we have 20 of them

as oral sounds and

these five of them are called nasal

sounds

what's the meaning what's the

distinction between oral and nasal

i am going to show you that distinction

but before we go

there let's look at one more point and

then we go and verify that

that point is ka

is known as a wheeler sound because it

comes from

veelum cha is known as

a palatal sound because it comes from

palette region in our vocal tract

ta is a retroflex sound

ta is a dental sound and pa

is a labial sound or bilabial sound

because it comes from lips so

let's go back backward you can see

both lips coming together to produce

this sound therefore a bilabial sound

the tip of the tongue goes

in the middle of upper teeth and lower

teeth and thus

we get the

retroflex meaning meaning of that

is the tongue particularly

the tip of the tongue curls backward

folds backward and in that fashion

it hits the areas muscular

areas of upper teeth not the teeth

the muscular area of our teeth where

we have our upper teeth in fixed

that area is also known as alveolar

so the tongue curled tongue unfolds

backward

in alveolar region the sounds that we

get

are called retroflex sounds and that

sound

one of one such example is term

sure palatal sound because

the the body of the tongue blade of the

tongue

is in contact with pallet area

chair not the tip of the tongue

but the body of the tongue and

the tip of the tongue has no role in it

because velum is quite

low in our vocal tract so the lower part

of the

tongue is in contact with velam area

and thus we get velar sounds so i'll

show you that

but so we we talked about

but all these in this series

all of them in this series are palatal

sound

cha cha they're all palatal sounds

they are all bilabial sounds

we come back to this part one more time

having looked at

this one more time we saw this picture

when we were talking about

vowel sounds now let's look at this

picture one more time

when we are looking at consonant sounds

remember

the exhaling flow of air we have

we we inhale this way and then

we have exhaling flow of air from here

when it moves upward look at this

this is the velum area

so the body of the tongue

here the the

exhaling flow of air gets modified

in particular ways and we will go back

to those ways as well

and it gets blocked here and then the

sound that we get

is known as ka if you

speak this sound and pay attention to

the articulators the place from where

this sound comes

and the sound itself you will realize

that we are getting

we you will understand this discussion

i am putting this on record and i am

speaking this

to you through this video there is

nothing embarrassing about

doing this practice for understanding

the places of articulation of these

sounds for making

our pronunciation our speaking

better and you can give half an hour of

time

to yourself to check place of

articulation

of every sound that you are going to see

at least once and then you will get the

point

that we are trying to make through these

articulators

and through this detailed discussion on

discussing sound production mechanism

the mechanics

mechanism underlying sound production

system

so that's that's the vlam area

then we were talking about palatal so

the next

at the next point where the body of the

tongue

produces a second set of sounds chair is

here

then you have these teeth so look at

this

so what happens is the tip of the tongue

goes here is our here is our teeth area

and this is the muscular region so the

tip of the tongue

folds backward and then hits this

area in the alveolar waste region

this alveolar reason

and then the sound that we get are

called retroflex sounds

when the tip of the tongue look at this

i don't know yeah tongue tip tip of the

tongue

comes in between this teeth

this then we get a dental sound and

when these lips come together we get

labial sounds so so i am only talking

about five of them

velum palette

this alveolar region tongue teeth

and lips these are

fixed places velum palette

alveolar resin teeth reason

teeth and lips these are fixed

places in our vocal tract the only

one organ that mo can move backward and

forward

to to get in touch with these areas is

tongue

it's tongue so we through this picture

we understand

the uh places and movement

by this time you must have figured out

this is just

a picture of a

posterior picture of our vocal tract

the the point that i made right in the

beginning

about the distinction between nasal

sounds and oral sounds

is the following so and and that all

distinction also

you can hear when you speak the sound so

when we say

pa and ma

ma say these two sounds for yourself

and then see what kind of distinction

do you observe between them say

dental and na na

what's the distinction between these two

i'm particularly asking you

to look at these two

what is the distinction and how does

this distinction become critical

here is the here is how the distinction

becomes

please look at this so all the places of

articulations

that we talk about like willam palette

teeth alveolar region and lips they are

in the oral cavity

and then we have a big area

as look at this nasal cavity which is

this area

and there is one more organ here look at

this this is

uvula so it is

if if we open our mouth also little

wider

we see from the from the roof of the

the this area we see some

something hanging uh

in when we open our mouth wide open

that organ is called uvula

that's a very critical organ for sound

production

and here is how it works when this gets

raised look at this this is the

this is the passage through which x-fil

exhaling

flow of air moves if it gets

raised then it blocks this cavity

it blocks this cavity and no air

moves through no air moves through

nasal cavity the movement the air flows

only through oral cavity and thus the

sounds that we get from different places

of articulations are called

oral sounds when the uvula is not

raised it is gets lowered down

then the part of the flow

of this exhaling air can move

through this nasal cavity as well

and then the sounds that we get are

called nasal sounds

so ma when we say ma you will is

lowered air little bit of air moves

through the nasal cavity

little bit little part from the

exhaling flow it moves through the oral

cavity as well as the nasal cavity

and thus we get some nasal sounds that's

the distinction between

oral and nasal sound so pa is

an oral labial sound bilabial sound

and ma is bilabial

nasal sound and that's how we make the

distinction

so now we understand the two-way

distinction between

oral consonants and nasal consonants

and we also understand the distinction

about different places of articulations

what this this part becomes clearer

for understanding places of

articulations

so here is what i want you to do i want

you to look at

this do do a very clear practice

of these sounds with you

and check their places of articulations

as i mentioned most of these sounds are

part of the languages that we speak

i come back here here is another this

another range of features

that i will come back to

but right now i want you look at the

features

on this vertical axis that is they are

places of articulation

i come back to these things later for

the time being

what i want you to look at is these

sounds of english

these are 24 specific english sounds

they are pa ba ma

and i want you to pay attention to this

axis

how do we pay attention to this axis

look at this

these are the three bilabial sounds in

english

are labiodental sounds you can

understand

bilabial sounds are produced by both

lips

bringing together labiodental sounds are

produced by

lip lower lip

and upper teeth together labiodental

and the are two dental sounds in english

are alveolar sounds in english

all of them are alveolar sounds in

english

these two sha and ja

are post alveolar sounds in english yeah

there's a palatal sound ka

na are velar sounds and

these are ha and there is one more girl

two glottal sounds in english

now see there are a lot of sounds here

which are not part of our vocal tract

our our sound system so we need to

learn these sounds

separately to sound

better while speaking english

at the same time we need to do little

bit of modification

in the way we have been speaking

if we bring in sounds from our languages

in speaking english

we will sound the way we usually sound

but we if we want to improve that we

need to understand this distinction look

at this chart of english sounds

and try to try to

practice these sounds the way they

should be produced

understanding their places of

articulations

so with this with this discussion on

places of articulations

and the distinction of sounds we can

very well get

an idea of how consonant sounds are

produced

in english and this will give you a

clearer idea

about sound system little bit about

vowel sounds

and little bit about consonant sounds

we stop here we i expect you to have

done a little bit of practice we'll see

you again with something else

next time thank you so much