Chapter Summary
In this chapter we
introduce the concept of place of articulation. The main areas of
articulation for consonants are the lips, upper front teeth, alveolar ridge,
hard palate, soft palate, uvula, the pharynx and the larynx. The tongue can
be viewed as consisting of five main areas: the tip, blade, front, back and
root. An articulation is a narrowing or constriction of the vocal tract
caused by an active articulator approaching a passive articulator, or by two
active articulators approaching one another. Articulations may be simple
and consist of only one constriction, or they may be complex and consist of
two equal constrictions (a double articulation) or of a primary and a
secondary articulation.
The chapter includes a brief overview of instrumental
techniques for investigating place of articulation: electropalatography,
x-ray photography and magnetic resonance imaging and concludes with a look
at how places of articulation for oral stop consonants are used by the
world’s languages.