The IPA is the International Phonetic Alphabet, it's where the phonemic symbols you're used to using come from so you should be familiar with some of it already. The other symbols are useful to learn as you might hear your students pronounce some. So, let's take a tour of the IPA together!
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| The full IPA Chart (2005) |
The bit that I use most with students is the top table of consonants...
Nasal - air-flow from the lungs comes out through the nose.
Plosive - an closure is made, released with a little exPLOSion and air-flow comes out through the mouth.
Fricative - an obstruction is put in the way of the air stream, which then has to pass through at high speed, making a characteristic whistling/buzzing sound.
Approximant - imagine a vowel masquerading as a consonant, a very close, but not quite touching consonant.
Trill - one of those lovely 'arrrrrriba' sounds when the tongue or lips make a series of beats.
Tap, Flap - like an 'arrrrrriba' but with just one hit of the tongue or bottom lip. (Try saying 'better' in an American accent).
Lateral fricative - a fricative where the air-flow comes over the side of the tongue rather then straight down the middle. (Try saying 'Llandudno' in a Welsh accent).
Lateral approximant - one of those almost-vowels but with the air-flow coming over the side of the tongue again.
Lateral flap - a single fluid tap movement with air released over the side of the tongue.
Bilabial - made with both lips.
Labiodental - made with the bottom lip and top row of teeth.
Dental - made at the teeth.
Alveolar - made at the hard gum ridge behind your top teeth.
Post-alveolar - a bit further back than alveolar.
Retroflex - made by curving your tongue tip back, a bit further back than Post-alveolar. (Try saying 'really' with an Indian accent)
Palatal - made at the middle of the roof of your mouth.
Velar - made at the soft fleshy bit of the roof of your mouth.
Uvular - made slightly further back than velar. (Try using the back of your tongue to make a 'k' sound in an Arabic accent).
Pharyngeal - made by pulling the tongue body back to squeeze the pharynx.
Epiglottal - made at the epiglottis.
Glottal - made at the glottis (the gap between your vocal folds).
How to read the IPA - Consonants
Manner: the left-hand column tells you the type of sound made, let me explain what each label means...
Nasal - air-flow from the lungs comes out through the nose.
Plosive - an closure is made, released with a little exPLOSion and air-flow comes out through the mouth.
Fricative - an obstruction is put in the way of the air stream, which then has to pass through at high speed, making a characteristic whistling/buzzing sound.
Approximant - imagine a vowel masquerading as a consonant, a very close, but not quite touching consonant.
Trill - one of those lovely 'arrrrrriba' sounds when the tongue or lips make a series of beats.
Tap, Flap - like an 'arrrrrriba' but with just one hit of the tongue or bottom lip. (Try saying 'better' in an American accent).
Lateral fricative - a fricative where the air-flow comes over the side of the tongue rather then straight down the middle. (Try saying 'Llandudno' in a Welsh accent).
Lateral approximant - one of those almost-vowels but with the air-flow coming over the side of the tongue again.
Lateral flap - a single fluid tap movement with air released over the side of the tongue.
Place: the top of each column tells you where the sound is made, it starts at the lips and ends at the vocal folds - i.e. front to back.
Bilabial - made with both lips.
Labiodental - made with the bottom lip and top row of teeth.
Dental - made at the teeth.
Alveolar - made at the hard gum ridge behind your top teeth.
Post-alveolar - a bit further back than alveolar.
Retroflex - made by curving your tongue tip back, a bit further back than Post-alveolar. (Try saying 'really' with an Indian accent)
Palatal - made at the middle of the roof of your mouth.
Velar - made at the soft fleshy bit of the roof of your mouth.
Uvular - made slightly further back than velar. (Try using the back of your tongue to make a 'k' sound in an Arabic accent).
Pharyngeal - made by pulling the tongue body back to squeeze the pharynx.
Epiglottal - made at the epiglottis.
Glottal - made at the glottis (the gap between your vocal folds).
- To help you hear what the symbols sound like, have a listen to this interactive IPA chart:
- When you click on a sound you'll hear it in initial, medial and final position accompanied by /ɑː/.
- For example, when you click on /p/ you'll hear /pɑː ɑːpɑː ɑːp/.
Hope this helps you get a better understanding of the IPA. Please note that the information given here is by no means the whole picture.
Part 2. coming soon...
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