Week 3: Manner of Articulation (1)

Manner of Articulation

Manner of articulation is the third consonant feature that needs to be used to fully describe a consonant phoneme. That is, that manner of articulation, in addition to voicing and point of articulation, are the characteristics that can tell apart any consonant in the language. Using this knowledge guarantees that you will be able to produce clearer and more accurate sounds in the target language.

Manner of articulation –in consonant production- refers to how the air comes out of your lungs. Does the air come out of your lungs through the mouth or nasal cavity? Do consonants produce friction while the air comes out, or do they suddenly block the flow of air? Are there sudden movements in your tongue when the air comes out? Does a sound begin in one point of articulation and then moves to another causing the air to come out differently? Answering these questions can allow us to classify consonants in this way.

In terms of manner of articulation, consonants can be classified as follows:

1. stops

2. fricatives

3. affricates

4. nasals

5. liquids

a. lateral

b. retroflex

6. glides

As we pointed out when talking about place of articulation, knowing how the air is released in consonant production can help you pronounce the phonemes accurately. As a teacher-to-be, you will be able to instruct students on how the air should come out to ensure accuracy in consonant production.