Phonetics features of plosive

A plosive is a consonant sound produced by stopping the airflow in the vocal tract. The basic

plosives in English are t, k, and p (voiceless) and d, g, and b (voiced). Plosive consonant

sounds are articulated with stricture of complex closer in one of these three places.

i. Lips

ii. Alveolar ridge

iii. Velar region

For example, /p/ and /b/ these are bilabial plosives, formed by the flow of air out of the body

is interrupted by closing the lips together. A Plosive consonant also known as an oral stops.

General Phonetics information:

i) Stage of articulators: In order to produce a fully articulated plosive consonant, we

usually go through the following three stages:

1. The closing stage: During this first stage, an active articulator moves towards a passive

articulator, or two active articulators move toward each other, make a firm contact and close

the air passage completely. This stage can be graphically represented as follows.

The vocal cords vibrate if the plosive is voiced and occurs between other voiced sounds, as in

adds [oeÚdz9], labor ["leIb´r], lady ["leIdi]. If the voiced plosive is in word-initial position,

the vocal cords do not vibrate yet. The soft palate is raised.

2. The compression stage: During this stage, the air stream is temporarily stopped, so air

pressure builds up behind the closure. If we are producing a voiced plosive, the vocal cords

continue vibrating if it is between other voiced sounds. In other words, the voiced plosive is

partially devoiced, as in bay [b9eI], day [d9eI], go [g(oU], Bob [b9AÚb9]. The hold stage

can be graphically represented as follows.

3. The release stage: During this stage, the speech organs separate abruptly a release the

closure, thus allowing the compressed air to escape quickly with slight poisons. If we are

producing a voiced sound, the vocal cords continue vibrating if the plosive is between voiced

sounds or if it is in word-initial position. If the plosive is in word-final position, the vocal

cords do not vibrate, as in rob [rAÚb9], lad [loeÚd9]. This stage can be graphically

represented as follows.

English plosives are /t, k, p, d, g, b/.

ii) Place of articulators:

01. /p/ /b/ --- bilabial plosives

02. /t/ /d/ --- lingua-alveolar plosives

03. /k/ /g/ --- lingua-velar plosives

III) Force of Articulators: /p, t, k/ are prosuced with more muscular eargy and stronger

breath. They are called “fortis”. /b, d, g/ are pronounced with less muscular energy and weak

breath. They are called “lenis”.

Iv) Aspiration: The “fortis” series /p, t, k/, when intitial in an accented syllable, are usually

aspirated. For example: pin [pʰɪn], kin [khin]

The “lenis” series /b, d, g/ are not normally aspirated.

v) Voiced: The “lenis” series /b, d, g/ are usually voiced. For example: nods [nɒdz]

The “fortis” series /p, t, k/ are not voiced.

vi) Opposition among English Plosives can be illustrated as follows.

bilabial lingua-alveolar lingua-velar

Initial Pole, bowl Toll , dole Coal, goal

Medial Ripper, rubber Cater, rudder Locking, logging

Final Rip, rid Writ, rid Rick, rig