Places of Articulation – Where Speech Sounds Are Made

After exploring the basic concepts of phonetics and phonology, it’s time to take a closer look at how speech sounds are actually produced. A fundamental concept in phonetics is the place of articulation, which refers to where in the vocal tract a sound is formed.

When we speak, different parts of our mouth and throat interact to shape the sounds we produce. Let’s explore the main places of articulation used in English: 

Bilabial

The two lips come together to produce these sounds.

Examples: /p/, /b/, /m/

Labio-dental

The lower lip makes contact with the upper front teeth.

Examples: /f/, /v/

Dental

The tip of the tongue touches the upper teeth.

Examples: /θ/ (as in think), /ð/ (as in this)

Alveolar

The blade or the tip and blade of the tongue touch the alveolar ridge (the bumpy ridge behind the upper teeth).

Examples: /t/, /d/, /l/, /n/, /s/, /z/

Palato-alveolar

The blade or tip and blade of the tongue touch the alveolar ridge, while the front of the tongue also raises toward the hard palate.

Examples: /ʃ/ (as in she), /ʒ/ (as in measure), /tʃ/ (as in church), /dʒ/ (as in judge)

Palatal

The front of the tongue comes into contact with the hard palate.

Example: /j/ (as in yes)

Velar

The back of the tongue touches the soft palate (also called the velum).

Examples: /k/, /g/, /ŋ/ (as in sing)

Glottal

The sound is produced at the glottis, either through a closure of the vocal folds or a narrowing that causes friction.

Examples: /ʔ/ (glottal stop), /h/ (as in hat)