Organs of Speech

 Organs of Speech

Introduction:

In all languages, we speak with air from the lungs. We fill our lungs with air quickly and release it slowly, either through our nose or mouth. Since we use air to breathe and emit the air out of the lungs, it is known as a “Pulmonic egressive air stream”. We use various organs in the production of speech. The organs of speech can be divided into three systems:

1.      Respiratory System

(It consists of the lungs, the muscles of the chest, and the windpipe.)

2.      Articulatory System

(It consists of a few organs in our head and neck. These organs are called organs of speech. These organs include the lips, the teeth, and the palate.)

3.      Phonatory System

(It consists of the larynx, vocal cords, and glottis.)

The Larynx:

The Larynx is commonly called the ‘Adam’s apple’. It is situated at the top of the windpipe. In the Larynx, two vocal cords are situated. The vocal cords seem like a pair of lips. They are closed at the front and open at the back. The opening between the vocal cords is called the glottis. A sound produced when the vocal cords are vibrating is called a voiced sound. If sound is produced when the vocal cords are at rest, it is called a voiceless sound in English. There are nine voiceless sounds in the English language.

 

All other sounds, including vowels and diphthongs, are voiced sounds.

 The Palate:

The upper part of the roof of the mouth is called the Palate. The roof of the mouth is divided into three parts:

A). Alveolar ridge:

It is the part just behind the upper front teeth. All the alveolar sounds like                                

 

 

B). Hard Palate:

It is the hard part just behind the alveolar ridge. It is also called the roof of the mouth. The sounds like

 

C). Soft Palate:

It is the part just behind the hard palate. The soft palate is also known as the velum. The end of the velum is called the Uvula. The soft palate plays a role in producing both oral and nasal sounds.

Oral sounds: when the soft palate is raised, the nasal passage is closed, and the air has to pass through mouth are called oral sounds. There are 41 oral sounds in the English language.

Nasal sounds: when the soft palate is lowered the oral passage is closed and the air has to pass through nose only. The sounds produced through the nose are called nasal sounds. There are three nasal sounds

 

 

The teeth and the teeth ridge:

In the production of certain consonants like                                                 the teeth and the ridge have a role to play.

The Tongue:

The importance of the tongue is such in a language that the word ‘tongue’ means ‘language’. The tongue’s role in the production of vowels in English is significant.

The position of the tongue determines the quality of a vowel. The tongue for the purpose of describing vowel is divided into three parts:

a)     Blade of the tongue

b)    Front of the tongue

c)     Back of the tongue

The lips:

The lips consist of the upper lip and the lower lip. The lips also play an essential role in producing speech sounds. The lips can take up three positions:

Conclusion:

The parts used in producing speech sounds are called articulators. Active articulators are those ‘organs of speech’ which move from their position of rest. Passive articulators are those organs of speech which do not move but are essential in the production of sounds. 

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