ARTICULATION

ARTICULATION

• the formation of clear and distinct sounds in

speech.
 PLACES OF ARTICULATION

• Apart from the behavior of the vocal cords,

sounds can also be distinguished as to
where in the oral cavity they are articulated
(i.e. where in the mouth there is most
obstruction when they are pronounced).
This location of where the sounds are
produced is called known as “articulation”.

• There are eight places of articulation. Let’s

take a look at them in detail.
BILABIAL SOUNDS

• Bilabial sounds are

produced when the
lips are brought
together.
Examples are /p/,
which is voiceless, as in
pay or /b/ and /m/
which are voiced, as in
bay, may. Bilabial
articulation
LABIODENTAL SOUNDS

• Labiodental sounds
are made when the
lower lip is raised
towards the upper
front teeth.

Examples are /f/ safe

(voiceless) and /v/
save (voiced).
Labiodental fricative
DENTAL SOUNDS

• Dental sounds are

produced by touching
the upper front teeth
with the tip of the
tongue.
Examples are /θ/ oath
(voiceless) and /∂/ clothe
(voiced). Dental fricative
ALVEOLAR SOUNDS

• Alveolar sounds are made

by raising the tip of the
tongue towards the ridge
that is right behind the
upper front teeth, called
the alveolar ridge.

Examples are /t/,/s/ too,

sue, both voiceless, and
/d/,/z/,/n/,/l/,/r/ do, zoo,
nook, look, rook, all voiced.
Alveolar articulation
PALATOALVEOLAR SOUNDS
PALATAL SOUNDS

• Palatal sounds are

very similar to
palatoalveolar ones,
they are just
produced further
back towards the
velum.
The only palatal
sound in English is /j/
as in yes, yellow,
beauty, new and it is
voiced. Palatal
VELAR SOUNDS
GLOTTAL SOUNDS
AN
EFFECTIVE
SPEAKING
VOIVE
VOICE
The raw sound
produced when the
surging air from the
lungs vibrates the
vocal cords in the
throat.
CHARACTERISTICS OF DESIRABLE
VOICE
 Audibility – the voice should be loud
enough to be heard.
 Pleasantness – it should be pleasing
to the ears.
 Clarity – it is clear and distinct
enough to be understood.
 Flexibility – it has ready capability
for modification or change.
 Fluency – it is articulate and
effortless.
FACTORS THAT AID VOICE
PRODUCTION

Ease
Posture
Breath Control
EASE
 Being comfortable with your voice.
 NOTE: A relaxed throat and jaw
make for effortless and smooth
speech.
 Relaxation foster calmer spirit,
improves voice, and promises better
thinking.
 Avoid fear, fatigue and undue strain.
RELAXATION EXERCISE
 Open your mouth wide. Yawn and
stretch. Then, shake rag-doll fashion
in your chair.
 Roll your head slowly in a wide lazy
circle. Left to right, then right to left.
Slowly. Shrug your shoulders till
they feel at ease.
 Take a deep breath. Inhale through
the nose and exhale through the
mouth.
Stretch your lips, articulate and
warm up on vowel.
Kick your feet, touch your toes,
wiggle your arms, move your
hands like an octopus, whirl to
relax your body.
Observe correct posture.
POSTURE
 Bad posture is an uncomfortable
sight to the listeners.
 Your posture should be free from all
peculiarities or mannerisms.
 Good posture is the arrangement of
the bones and muscles which puts
the body in perfect alignment so that
the various parts of the body fall
naturally into place.
ADVANTAGES OF GOOD POSTURE
 It suggests health.
It makes you look great.
It conditions a pleasing voice.
It is one of the finest exercises
you can do.
It eases fatigue and tension.
BREATH CONTROL
 The principal muscle involved in
breathing is the diaphragm.
 It controls the power and steadiness
of vocal tones.
 In good speech, what counts is not
how much air is inhaled but how you
control the out-going air to sustain
the tones for controlled speech.
PRINCIPLES RELATED TO BREATHING
WHICH AID VOICE PRODUCTION
1. The breath should come easily with no
apparent effort. There should be no
strain, either in taking its full breath or in
consciously controlling outlet.
2. The rhythm of breathing must conform
to the rhythm of speech.
3. Both the mouth and the nasal passages
are used in breathing during speech.
4. Frequent sips of air should be taken
when pausing between phrases so that the
breathing does not become blatant and
shortness of breath does not occur.
5. There must be proper control of
exhalation so that tones have sufficient
support.
6. Loud tones are given considerable
pressure in exhalation; soft low tones are
allowed very little pressure.
7. Proper posture, characterized by ease
contributes much to effective voice
production.
VOICE PROJECTION
 The power of a voice comes from
projection rather than mere volume.
 Projection may be related to
loudness but it is not all loudness.
 It depends on three things: the force
of your breath, clarity of articulation
and the muscular energy with which
you form your words.
 Poorprojection derives from
nervousness or inattentiveness as
when you do not look at your
audience and you do not know how
far you should project your voice.
VOICE PROJECTION
 Isthe process of directing the voice
to a specific target using it creatively
and adequately by adapting the
attributes of voice and the
concomitants of speech to the
communication situation.
FACTORS FOR EFFECTIVE VOICE
PROJECTION

1. Direct your voice with controlled vocal

force through proper breath management.
2. Make your voice sound as if you are
sincerely alert of your thoughts and
feelings.
3. Use your body, especially your face to
show this interest in communicating with
your listener.
4. Develop greater precision, sharpness
and clarity of articulation through an active
use of your articulators in conjunction with
the points of articulation
5. Expand fully the stressed vowel sounds
of your speech
6. Take care not to fall into the tendency to
push up the pitch of your voice when you
want to increase its volume.
VOICE VARIETY
Common faults in speaking:
1. You use the same pitch with only a slight
variation of one or two notes.
2. You employ the same tempo or note from
beginning to end
3. You use uniform degree of force or volume
regardless of the different meanings your message
conveys.
4. You utilize only one voice quality to express
all shades of meaning and mood.
WHAT TO DO?
Change your attitude
Think and feel with keenness
and discrimination
Develop your vocal mechanism
VOICE QUALITY
Refers to the predominant timbre
or tone color of your voice.
The distinctive characteristic of the
tone of the voice that makes it
pleasant or unpleasant by which
other people identify you.
PITCH

The relative position of a tone

in scale.
The highness or lowness of the
voice when you speak.