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Phonological and non-phonological features in the system of english consonants (10)

In phonology the basic method of establishing the phonemic status of a sound is the method of finding minimal pairs. The method consists in finding at least one pair of words which are different in respect of that sound: pit – bit. When two words are identical except for one sound which makes a contrast in the meaning of words, they are said to form a minimal pair. The minimal pair may be 2 words or 2 gram-l forms of a word: man – men. Thus, the function of phonology is to relate the phonetic events of speech to gr-l units operation at the morphological, lexical, syntactic and semantic levels of lang-e.

Sounds are grouped into classes according to the features which are distinctive for the particular language. In English the following features are distinctive for consonants:

type of obstruction:

occlusive (in the production of which a complete obstruction is formed): [pul];

constructive (an incomplete obstruction is formed): [ful]:

place of articulation:

  1. labial: [p], [b], [m], [w];

  2. labio-dental (cons-s are articulated with the lower lip against the upper teeth): [f], [v];

  3. dental (articulated against the upper teeth either with the tip: [θ], [ð] or with the blade of the tongue);

  4. alveolar (cons-s are articulated by the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge): [t], [d], [n], [l], [s], [z];

  5. palatal: [j];

  6. alveolar-velar: [ł]

  7. glottal (are produced in the glottis): .

manner of production of noise:

  1. plosive oral stop: [p], [b], [t], [d], [k], [g];

  2. fricative:

  3. affricate: [t], [dж];

  4. approximant.

  1. presence or absence of voice:

  1. voiced (lenis): [b], [d], [g], [dж], [v], [ð], [z], [ж], [m], [n], [ŋ], [w], [l], [r], [j];

  2. voiceless (fortis); they are pronounced with greater muscular tension and a stronger breath force: [p], [t], [k], [t], [f], [θ], [s], [], [h].

  1. position of the soft palate and the velum:

  1. oral (consonants are produced when the soft palate is raised and the air escapes through the mouth): the rest of the consonants;

  2. nasal (consonants are produced with the soft palate lowered while the air-passage through the mouth is blocked. As a result, the air escapes through the nasal cavity): [m], [n], [ŋ].

In each minimal pair the opposition is based either on: