Linguistics Main

 

The [h] sound.

Let us first consider how the sound [h] is produced.  It is a good starting point because {h} has a distinctive sound, produced at the glottis itself with a puff of air.  Therefore the place of articulation is glottal.  [h] is produced with the vocal cords pulled apart, therefore it is voiceless.  So we can now determine that [h] is a voiceless glottal sound.

 

The [h] sound is also produced with a continuous flow of air, therefore the manner of articulation is fricative.  Fricatives are consonants that are produced with a continuous airflow through the mouth that belong to a larger class of sounds called continuants.

 

Therefore [h] is a voiceless glottal fricative.  It is produced when a puff of air is emitted directly from the glottis with the vocal cords pulled apart and uses a continuous airflow through the mouth.

 

Click next.

 

(Mahmet 7-8)

 

 

       Mahmet, Yava, Applied English Phonology. Boston: Blackwell, 2005.