The Organs of

Speech and their

Functions / The
General
Classification of
Speech Sounds

Nadezhda V. Litonina, PhD

Speech Organs and their Functions: Review

What are active organs of speech? Name them.

What are passive organs of speech? Name them.
What are their functions?
How many cavities are there in our speech track?
What is their function?
 Activity: Match the image with the name of the organ please. Draw the missing
organ yourself (how you imagine it), then compare it with your partner.
the nasal cavity
the oral / mouth cavity
the soft palate with the uvula
the pharynx
the larynx
the vocal cords
the lips
the lower jaw
the tongue
the lungs
the teeth
the alveolar ridge
the glottis
Please, show me the picture:
the nasal cavity
the lower teeth
the oral / mouth cavity
the lower lip
the soft palate with the uvula
the upper lip
the pharynx
the upper teeth
the larynx the tip of the tongue
the glottis the root of the tongue

the vocal cords

the blade of the tongue
the front of the tongue
the lungs
the lower jaw
the teeth

the alveolar ridge

Pair Work:

Work with your partner and write the function of each speech organ
on the reverse side of your flashcards; compare it to the table below.
 The Main Functions of Speech Organs
RESPIRATION (BREATHING) PHONATION
The vocal cords
Diaphragm
Lungs

RESONATION ARTICULATION

Mouth cavity Lips

Nasal cavity Teeth
Pharynx Tongue
Larynx Lower jaw
Hard palate
Soft palate
Uvula
Alveolar ridge
Into what parts is the tongue divided for the
purposes of Phonetics?
In British and American pronunciation, the tip of
the tongue has to be flexible and dynamic.
The exercises to get your tongue ready for the sounds and movements
of RP and American accent:

1. Curl the tip of the tongue upwards, so that it touches your lips, then
teeth, then alveolar ridge. Repeat this several times.
2. Put the tip of the tongue on the back of your lower teeth, then
yawn (), without letting the tip move.
 The lips

What lip shapes do these photos demonstrate?

The exercises to get your lips ready for the
sounds and movements of RP
Relax your lips and blow through them, making them flap ().
This will make a sound a bit like a horse.

Screw your face up ( ) as small as you possibly can,

and then stretch your face out (). Repeat this several times.
The Soft and Hard Palates
Exercises to get your soft palate ready for the
sounds and movement of RP:

Pinch and release your nose while saying the vowel sound
aaaaaaaaaa. The sound should not change at all. Then try to yawn
() and notice the difference. This happens because when you
yawn, the soft palate automatically lifts.
Now try swapping between a completely nasal sound like m and u.
Check that the vowel is completely oral by pinching your nose
( ).
What is the speech organ that we would like
to be less active in English?
Exercise to get your jaw ready for the sounds
and movements of RP:

Put your hand on the side of your face, clench your teeth (
), and then relax.
Notice the place where you felt the muscle tension.
Now start to massage that area and think about space being created
between your molar teeth.
 What are the vocal cords?

Show the video!

Exercise to identify the vocal cords:

Put your hand on your larynx and say the sound aaaaaaaaaa. You
will feel vibration under your hand. That is the vocal cords vibrating.
Voiced sounds ( ) are produced, e.g. z

Keep your hand in the same place and this time whisper ()
the sound aaaaaaaaa. Now you wont feel any vibration because the
air is passing straight through the vocal cords. Voiceless sounds
( ) are produced, e.g. s
 Please take out your stickers and answer the following
questions:
From the list above, what are the active articulators? (equal numbers)
From the list above, what are the passive articulators? (odd numbers)
Please name the function of each speech organ. Choose from the
following:
Respiration (Breathing)
Phonation
Resonation
Articulation
 Speech Sounds
Speech Sounds

Vowels Consonants
/a: u: i u e/ /b, d, p, t, v, z/
 Consonants vs. Vowels
Favorite Letter song by Patty Shukla -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xJdpzsDKBM

Short and Long Vowels -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TjcT7Gto3U
How many?
How many vowel letters are there in the English alphabet?
5
(A, E, I, O, U)
How many consonant letters are there in the English alphabet?
20
(B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y)
How many consonant sounds are there in British English?
24
How many vowel sounds are there in British English?
20?
 Vowels vs. Consonants
(from the point of view of their articulation)
(on the example of [ ] and [ p ])
Points of Characterization Vowels Consonants
+ / - obstruction

the strength of the stream of air

muscular tension

noise vs. musical tone

 What is the difference between a vowel and a
consonant from the point of view of articulation?
Points of Characterization Vowel Consonants

Sonorant /m, n, w, l, r, j, Noise Consonant

/
+ / - obstruction no yes yes
The strength of the weak weak strong
stream of air
Muscular tension distributed throughout the resonator at the place of
and at the place of obstruction
obstruction
Noise vs. Musical Tone musical tone musical tone noise

How are sonorants different from noise consonants?

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
bow

Speaking, not spelling!

 Learner Can Do - Chart
Yes With Help This is still a
I can: goal

name the cavities in our speech track and define their function.

name the active organs of speech and define their functions.

name the passive organs of speech and define their function.

name the parts of the tongue for the purposes of Phonetics.

describe the difference between a vowel sound and a consonant sound.

describe the difference between a vowel sound and a sonorant.

describe the difference between a noise consonant sound and a sonorant.

Do you have any other questions?
If yes, please write them on the cards with your names.

Homework: read pp.6-17 in the manual! Bring an ice-cream stick, a

rubber band, and stickers.