The organs of speech

In learning a foreign language as a speciality it is necessary to know in detail the structure and function of the speech apparatus. The organs of speech are as follows:

I. The nasal cavity. II. The mouth cavity. III. The pharyngal cavity, (the pharynx) IV. The tongue: 1. the blade of the tongue with the tip. 2. the front of the tongue. 3. the back of the tongue 4. the root of the tongue. V. The roof of the mouth: 1. the alveoli (the teeth ridge). 2. the hard palate. 3. the soft palate. 4. the uvula. VI. The teeth. 1. the upper teeth. 2. the lower teeth. VII. The lips. 1. the upper lip. 2. the lower lip. VIII. The larynx. IX. The vocal cords. X. The windpipe. XI. The lower jaw.

The movable speech organs are called active, they are as follows: the tongue, the soft palate with the uvula, the upper and lower lips and the vocal cords.

The passive organs of speech are: the upper teeth, the alveoli, and the hard palate.

ARTICULATION BASIS OF ENGLISH

The summary of all main principles of articulation in a certain language is called the Articulation Basis.

The main points of difference between the articulation basis of English and Ukrainian are as follows:

1. The tongue in English is more tense and bulky and has a retracted position for the most of the phonemes.

2. The lips are also tenser and less movable than in Ukrainian. They are mostly spread (with the lower teeth revealed) or neutral (flat articulation)

3. Forelingual English consonants (they are 12) have an apical articulation: they are articulated with the tongue-tip against the alveoli, as /t, d, s, z, S, Z, tS, dZ, n, l/, or against the teeth /T, D /. The corresponding Ukrainian ones are articulated with the blade of the tongue (the tip is lowered) against the teeth (dorsal articulation), except for /ш, ж/