Lingustics and Phonations
Airstream mechanisms Intelligible sounds are produced by firstly placing the organs of the vocal tract in a specific configuration which influences the flow of air as it passes through the oral and/or nasal cavity.
To produce a distinctive speech sound, there are two requirements:
i. a configuration of organs ii. a flow of air or airstream
How are airstreams initiated or provoked?
Basically, the questions to be answered regarding the airstream in the production of most speech sounds are two:
1. Is the airstream pulmonic or non-pulmonic?
2. In the production of sounds, does the air flow out of the body or is the air drawn into the body?
All speech sounds are produced on a moving airstream.
The organs which can provoke or initiate the movement of the air in the vocal tract are called "initiators".
There are three initiators:
- the lungs
- the vocal folds (glottis)
- the tongue initiator (type of airstream) egressive ingressive
1. lungs most speech sounds of
Indo-European languages inhaled sigh
2. glottis
(glottalic or pharyngeal) ejectives
(unvoiced) implosives
(slightly voiced
3. tongue spitting clicks
(primary articulation) An airstream initiated by the lungs is called a pulmonic airstream.
An airstream initiated by the glottis is called a glottalic airstream.
An airstream initiated by the tongue is called a velaric airstream.
Most speech sounds used by Indo-European language speakers are produced on a pulmonic and egressive airstream.
A pulmonic egressive airstream is used to produce a speech gesture known as an inhaled sigh.
Both egressive and ingressive glottalic airstreams are used to produce speech sounds.
Speech sounds produced on a glottalic egressive airstream are called "ejectives".
Speech sounds produced on a glottalic ingressive airsatreams are called "implosives".
The velaric egressive airstream produces a speech getsure known as "spitting".
The velaric ingressive airstream produces speech sounds known as
To produce a distinctive speech sound, there are two requirements:
i. a configuration of organs ii. a flow of air or airstream
How are airstreams initiated or provoked?
Basically, the questions to be answered regarding the airstream in the production of most speech sounds are two:
1. Is the airstream pulmonic or non-pulmonic?
2. In the production of sounds, does the air flow out of the body or is the air drawn into the body?
All speech sounds are produced on a moving airstream.
The organs which can provoke or initiate the movement of the air in the vocal tract are called "initiators".
There are three initiators:
- the lungs
- the vocal folds (glottis)
- the tongue initiator (type of airstream) egressive ingressive
1. lungs most speech sounds of
Indo-European languages inhaled sigh
2. glottis
(glottalic or pharyngeal) ejectives
(unvoiced) implosives
(slightly voiced
3. tongue spitting clicks
(primary articulation) An airstream initiated by the lungs is called a pulmonic airstream.
An airstream initiated by the glottis is called a glottalic airstream.
An airstream initiated by the tongue is called a velaric airstream.
Most speech sounds used by Indo-European language speakers are produced on a pulmonic and egressive airstream.
A pulmonic egressive airstream is used to produce a speech gesture known as an inhaled sigh.
Both egressive and ingressive glottalic airstreams are used to produce speech sounds.
Speech sounds produced on a glottalic egressive airstream are called "ejectives".
Speech sounds produced on a glottalic ingressive airsatreams are called "implosives".
The velaric egressive airstream produces a speech getsure known as "spitting".
The velaric ingressive airstream produces speech sounds known as