Mastering the American Accent » Voiceless and Voiced Consonants

Voiceless and Voiced Consonants

One way that we categorize consonants is by determining whether they are “voiceless” or “voiced.” It’s important to know the difference between these types because the length of a vowel that precedes a consonant is determined by whether the consonant that follows it is voiceless or voiced. You will learn more about this later in the chapter. Also, knowing whether a sound is voiceless or voiced will help to correctly pronounce letters such as -ed and -s at the ends of words. You will learn about this in detail in the next chapter.

First, let’s learn how to distinguish between a voiced and a voiceless consonant. Place your fingers in the front, middle part of your neck. Now say /z/ as in the word zoo. Now, let’s make it longer: zzzzzzzzzz. You should feel a vibration in your vocal cords. This is how you know that the /z/ sound is voiced. Now let’s try this with the /s/ sound as in the word sat. Say /s/. Now let’s prolong it: sssssssss. This time there was no vibration in your vocal cords, so this consonant is considered unvoiced. That’s all there is to it. The tongue and lip positions of the /z/ and /s/ are identical. The only difference between them is vibration or no vibration. Look at the other consonant pairs that are produced exactly the same way, except for the vibration in the vocal cords.

Voiceless and Voiced Consonant Pairs

Voiceless Consonants (vocal cords do not vibrate)Voiced Consonants (vocal cords vibrate)How to Produce the Sound
/p/ pet, rope/b/ bet, robeLips start fully together, then part quickly to produce a small release of air.
/t/ ten, seat/d/ den, seedTip of the tongue is slightly tense as if firmly touches and then releases the gum ridge.
/k/ class, back/g/ glass, bagBack of tongue presses up against soft palate (back of mouth) and releases.
/f/ fault, leaf/v/ vault, leaveLower lips lightly touch upper teeth; vibration occurs on the lips from the flow of air created.
/θ/ thank, breath/ð/ this, breatheTip of the tongue touches back of front teeth or edges of front teeth. Air flows out between tongue and teeth.
/s/ sink, price/z/ zinc, prizeSides of tongue touch middle and back upper teeth. Tip of tongue is lowered a bit. Air flows out of middle part of the tongue.
/ʃ/ pressure, wish/ʒ/ pleasure, massageTip of tongue is down, sides of tongue are against upper teeth on sides of mouth. Air flows out through middle of tongue.
/ʧ/ choke, rich/ʤ/ joke, ridgeTip of tongue is down, sides of tongue are against upper teeth on the side of mouth. Tip of tongue quickly touches gum ridge and then releases.

More Voiced Consonants

Now let’s go through the rest of the consonant sounds of English. These consonants are all voiced, but they have no voiceless pair. Make sure that you feel the vibration in your vocal cords as you say them.

/m/ mom, from, lemonLips together. Air flows out of the nose.
/n/ non, fun, anyTip of tongue touches gum ridge, and the sides of the tongue touch upper teeth; air any flows out of the nose.
/ŋ/ going, spring, kingBack of the tongue touches the soft palate; air flows out of the nose.
/l/ love, will, yellowTip of tongue touches upper gum ridge. Tongue is tense. Air comes out on the sides of the tongue, at the corners of the mouth.
/r/ red, four, cardThere are two ways to produce this sound:
1: Tip of tongue curls a bit and then is pulled back slightly.
2: Tip of tongue is down; center of the tongue touches hard palate.
/w/ win, lower, quietRounded lips as for the vowel /u/ in moon. Air flows out through the lips. Tongue is in position for the vowel sound that follows the /w/.
/y/ yes, mayor, youngTip of tongue touches lower front teeth. Front of tongue is raised near the hard palate.

The Consonant /h/

This final consonant sound is voiceless and does not have a “voiced pair” that it corresponds to.

/h/ happy, behave, whoVocal cords are tense and restricted, back of tongue is pushed against the throat to create friction as the air flows out from the back of the mouth.

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