English Language Writing Skills

By Danso Kwasi Nti Samuel (DAS). Study the complete course source, examine every model and practise alongside Professor Jarvis.

Course printed page 23 PDF page 29 of 505

For tables, matching columns, IPA and original formatting, open the course PDF above.

Group Collaborative Study Dialogue on Producing Consonant Sounds in

Context (Plosives)

Ata: Hey everyone, today we’re focusing on plosives and their usage in different contexts.

Plosives are sounds made by completely blocking and then releasing airflow. We have six

main plosives: /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, and /g/. Mansa, could you start by explaining the

voiceless plosives?

Mansa: Of course! Voiceless plosives are produced without vibrating the vocal cords. They

include /p/, /t/, and /k/. For /p/, we block the airflow with both lips and then release it.

Examples include "pan," "pat," and "park." For /t/, we stop the airflow at the alveolar ridge,

just behind the upper front teeth. Examples are "top," "bat," and "hat." Finally, /k/ is made

by stopping the airflow at the back of the mouth with the tongue against the soft palate.

Examples are "cap," "kit," and "cane."

Esi: That’s right. Now for the voiced plosives: /b/, /d/, and /g/. These are produced with

vocal cord vibration. For /b/, we use both lips and include vocal cord vibration. Examples

are "book," "butter," and "bake." For /d/, we stop the airflow at the alveolar ridge with vocal

cord vibration. Examples include "dog," "mud," and "date." And for /g/, we stop the airflow

at the back of the mouth and use vocal cords. Examples are "game," "go," and "gig."

Appiah: Excellent! Let’s now distinguish between voiced and voiceless plosives in context.

For instance, in the sentence "The big cat," the /k/ in "cat" is voiceless, while the /g/ in "big"

is voiced. Similarly, in "The old book," the /b/ in "book" is voiced, while the /p/ in "pen" is

voiceless.

Ata: Great examples! Next, let’s look at how plosives work in connected speech. Aspirated

plosives are pronounced with a strong burst of air. For example, in "Peter Piper picked a

peck of pickled peppers," the /p/ sounds are aspirated, with a noticeable burst of air. Another

example is "Keep calm and carry on," where the /k/ in "keep" is aspirated.