The Speech Organs

                                  UNIT II

                     THE ORGANS OF SPEECH

 

Introduction :  Tongue and lips are,the active articulators. The hard palate and tooth ridge stay stationary. These are passive articulators. One active articulator touching the passive articulator generates sound. The point or place of articulation is the anatomical site where sensory contact occurs. Speech serves both a linguistic function, cueing sounds and words, and a social function, cueing talkers and their social attributes.

 

Articulation : Certain speaking organs possess the ability to move and exhibit flexibility, including the tongue and lips. These devices are referred to as active articulators. Certain structures, such as the hard palate and tooth ridge, do not undergo any movement but instead remain essentially stationary.These devices are referred to as passive articulators. Sound is generated when one of the active articulators makes contact with the passive articulator. The point of articulation, alternatively referred to as the place of articulation, denotes the specific anatomical site when sensory contact occurs. 

Vocal cords: The vocal cords, also referred to as Adam's apple or sound box,are small folds of elastic tissues that are located within the larynx. These entities can be either separated or bound together.When they are maintained in a state of separation, a gap is formed.The clinical term for this position is glottis open.This position is indicative of our typical respiratory pattern. The act of holding the vocal chords apart results in the production of specific sounds. These sounds are referred to as voiceless or breath sounds, such as Egp, s, f, and so on. Additional noises are generated when the vocal cords are in a state of tension.The term used to describe this condition is "glottis closed."When air is expelled from the lungs and passes through the glottis, it induces a certain degree of vibration. The term used to describe this vibrating or buzzing sound is "voice".Voiced sounds, such as /s/, /z/, /v/, /i:/, etc.,bare created when the vocal cords are brought together. Examples of voiced sounds include zoo, vine, and easy. 

The Vocal Cords and their position : 

A sound can be either vocalized or unvocalized. The sensation of placing one's finger on the Adam's Apple while articulating a sound can be perceived. An additional examination involves closing the ears and observing the presence of a buzzing sound - sssss, followed by a sequence of z sounds - zzzzz. The former emits a voiceless hissing sound, whereas the latter produces a vocal buzzing sound. All vowels and nasals in English are voiced,some consonants are voiced while others are not.

Palate: The upper section of the mouth is composed of a curved, bony, arch-like structure.This is alternatively referred to as the oral roof. The palate can be classified into two distinct components, specifically the hard palate and the soft palate. The palate is rigid and cannot be moved. However, the soft palate, sometimes referred to as the velum, exhibits mobility. The value can be increased or decreased. The nasal passage is regulated by a valve that facilitates the closure and opening of air.

 

When the soft palate is elevated, it obstructs the nasal channel, allowing air from the lungs to reach the oral passage without obstruction. The auditory stimuli generated during this period are referred to as oral noises. The act of lowering the soft palate facilitates the passage of air via the nasal channel as well. By closing our lips at this moment, we effectively seal the oral route, which is also referred to as the vocal tract. 

 

The Nasal sounds : During this time, the nasal sounds like /m/, /n/, as in mum, nun, king are produced. This is the position for humming and breathing. Sometimes, the soft palate is lowered so as to allow the air to escape through the nose and the mouth.Then nasalized vowels as heard in French words enfant /afa/, bon /b/ are produced.

 

The position of Soft palate: 

 Tongue : The tongue is the most mobile among the speech organs. The oral cavity has the capacity to undergo forward, backward, upward, and lateral movement. It has the capability to make contact with any area of the mouth. The tongue plays a crucial part in the creation of vowels. The tongue is elevated or depressed, but it does not make contact with any part of the mouth. If any region of the lips is touched or rubbed, the resulting sound will transition from a vowel to a consonant. The figure illustrates the many components of the tongue that are involved in sound generation.

 

The parts of the tongue:

Lips : Lips also have a significant function in the generation of speech sounds. The quality of vowels is determined by the lips. The vowel quality varies depending on the different lip locations. When we pronounce sounds such as "i" (e.g., bee), "neutral" (e.g., pen), "open rounded" (e.g., pot), or "close rounded" (e.g., pool), our lips are stretched apart.

Teeth : Teeth also plays a prominent role in the production of sound, the tongue blade lightly touches the inside surface of the upper incisors to generate sounds like thanks and father. Such sounds are dentals.

 

 Vowels and its Classification : In English language we have Vowels (a,e,i,o,u) and there are 20 vowel sounds,broadly classified as,

i) Monophthongs (12)

ii) Diphthongs (8)

 

Monophthongs :

Monophthongs, often known as pure vowels, are characterized by their single phonetic sound in pronunciation. The pronunciation of these vowels does not include any shift or glide between sounds. The alignment of our tongue and mouth remains consistent during the articulation of these vowel phonemes.

 

Diphthongs :

Diphthongs are two vowels in one syllable. It starts with one vowel and goes to another.The two most prevalent diphthongs in English are “oy”/“oi” (as in “boy” or “coin”) and “ow”/“ou” (as in “cloud” or “cow”).

 

Place of Articulation :  

Consonants vary by articulation point. The label is a passive articulator adjective. Some key categories are:

i) Bilabial: formed by closure or near closure of the lips,the articulators are the two lips.Sounds involved [p], [b], and [m].

ii) Labio Dental:the lower lip serves as the active articulator, while the upper teeth serve as the passive articulators. 

Eg: [f] as in fine, [v] as in veil

 

iii) Dental: The tongue tip and upper front teeth are active and passive articulators, respectively.

Eg: [θ ] as in think , [ ð] as in then.

iv) Alveolar : An active articulator is the tongue blade tip, while a passive articulator is the tooth ridge. 

Example: 

[t] as in stick, [d] as in duty, [l] as in lid

 v) Post Alveolar: The active articulator is located at the tip of the tongue, while the passive articulator is situated in the back of the tooth ridge. 

Example, [r]  red.

 

vi) Retroflex:  The active articulator of the tongue is located at the tip and is curved backwards. The passive articulator refers to the posterior aspect of the tooth ridge, often known as the hard palate.

vii) Palato Alveolar :The active articulators of the palato alveolar region consist of the tip, blade, and front of the tongue, while the passive articulators encompass the teeth-ridge and hard palate. 

Eg: [ʃ ] as in shame,[ʒ] as in pleasure , [tʃ] as in chin and [ dʒ ] as in jam.

 

 viii) Palatal: The active articulator of the tongue is located in the front, while the passive articulator is situated on the hard palate. For instance, the letter "j" is used to represent the color yellow.

ix) Velar: The active articulator of the tongue is located at the posterior region, while the passive articulator is situated on the soft palate. 

Example: [k] refers to the skull, [g] refers to the gear

 

x) Uvular: The active articulator of the tongue is located in the posterior region, while the uvula serves as the passive articulator. English does not possess any uvular sounds.

xi) Glottal: Derived from the glottis. For example, the letter "h" is used in the word "hat".