Teaching Consonant Pronunciation
Consonants are marked by constriction or closure in the breath channel. There are 24 consonant phonemes in English: b, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w, y, z, th (voiced), th (unvoiced), ch, sh, /zh/, /ng/
No matter which language group you are teaching, there will be difficulty learning some consonant sounds. Most languages lack one or more English consonant sounds. This makes it difficult for students to hear and pronounce certain consonant sounds.
Other languages contain a consonant sound that is between two English sounds. For example, Japanese has a sound between "r" and "l". That is why Japanese English learners might say, "lock" and "rock" with the same beginning sound. This makes it difficult to distinguish the difference between the two English consonants.
Warm-up Exercises
A fun way to practice consonant sounds is by using sentences with alliteration. Introduce one sentence per day. Have students practice it with partners or in small groups for a few minutes, then have a few volunteers say the sentence aloud for the class. Encourage those who have difficulty with the sound to practice the sentence.
IPA
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a phonetic notation system developed in the 19th century as the standard written representation for the sounds. Not all English language teachers are familiar with the IPA, however, many students have used this alphabet in their respective countries.
If you want to use IPA charts, please follow the link provided. IPA Charts
Focus on Pronunciation
Knowing how sounds are made helps you to explain how to pronounce them. Below are three different effective ways of teaching consonant pronunciation.
1. Voiced and Unvoiced Consonants
Consonants can be divided by sounds made using the vocal cords (Voiced) and sounds made without using the vocal cords (Unvoiced / Voiceless). By playing your hand on your throat, you can feel the vocal cords move for voiced sounds.
- Voiced: b, d, g, j, l, r, v, w, y, z, th, /zh/
- Unvoiced: f, h, k, p, t, s, ch, sh, th
Consonant Pairs: Some voiced and unvoiced sounds are made using the same configuration of the mouth. These pairs are used to help English learners hear, distinguish, and pronounce sounds.
- b and p
- t and d
- f and v
- k and g
- th (thin) and th (then)
- s and z
- ch and j
- sh and /zh/
2. Place of Articulation
Another method of teaching consonants is to show the position of the lips, teeth, and tongue. Often, students will use a mirror to see the position of their mouth and tongue.
- Bilabial: Consonants produced with both lips. (b, p, m, w)
- Labiodental: Sounds produced using the teeth and lips. (f, v)
- Interdental: Sounds produced by putting the tongue between the teeth. (th voiced, th unvoiced)
- Alveolar: Sounds produced with the tongue behind the ridge of the teeth. (d, t, s, z, n, l)
- Alveo-palatal: Sounds produced with the tongue in the middle of the mouth. (sh, ch, j)
- Palatal: Sounds produced with the tongue at the back of the mouth. (y)
- Velar: Sounds produced at the top of the throat. (k, g, ng)
- Glottal: Sounds produced in the throat. (h)
3. Manner of Articulation
The last way to teach consonant sounds is by the way the air moves through the mouth or nose. Some teachers use mouth diagrams to demonstrate the position of the lips, teeth, and tongue.
- Stops: Sounds that you cannot hold. These are often referred to as an explosion of sound. (b, d, g, k, p, t)
- Nasals: The air flows out of the nose, not the mouth. Put your fingers on your nose to feel the vibration. (m, n, ng)
- Fricatives: Sounds made by squeezing air between a small gap, creating friction. (f, v, j, s, z, sh, zh, th (voiced), th (unvoiced, h)
- Affricates: These begin as stop sounds and end as fricative sounds. (ch, j)
- Liquids: Vowel-like sounds are produced when the tongue blocks the airflow through the mouth. (l, r)
- Glides: The airflow is unobstructed and frictionless. These are considered semivowels. (w, y)
Happy Teaching
