The 3 term description of English Consonants

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The 3 term description of English consonants

(This note is on UK Phonetic system; do not confuse with the US version)

[f] – voiceless labio-dental fricative

[v] – voiced labio-dental fricative

[T] (th) – voiceless dental fricative

[D] (dh) – voiced dental fricative

[s] – voiceless alveolar fricative

[z] – voiced alveolar fricative

[sh] – voiceless palato-alveolar fricative

[zha] – voiced palato-alveolar fricative

[x] – voiceless velar fricative

[h] – voiceless glottal fricative

[j] – voiced palatel approximant

[r] – voiceless alveolar approximant also voiceless post-alveolar approximant

(as in the case of 'red') r's pronunciation varies hence its description too.

It can also be a fricative as in the case of 'pray'.

[w] – voiced labio-velar approximant

[m] – voiced bilabial nasal

[b] – voiced bilabial plosive

[ch] – voiveless alveolar affricate

[p] – voiceless bilabial plosive

[t] – voiceless alveolar plosive

[d] – voiced alveolar plosive

[n] – voiced alveolar nasal

[k] – voiceless velar plosive

[ng] – voiced velar nasal

[g] – voiced velar plosive

*Please see that the phonotic symbol used on this page is not exactly as that of the IPA symbols. I had to write so, because my font system did not support the special IPA symbols.