/p · b/
Bilabial
Placement
Both lips close, then separate.
Voice: /p/ voiceless · /b/ voiced
Practice
pat — bat; cap — cab
IPA Consonants
Stops (plosives)
All sections ↑Make a complete oral closure. A release may be audible; word-final stops can also be unreleased.
/t · d/
Alveolar
Placement
Touch the tongue tip or blade to the ridge just behind the upper front teeth, then release.
Voice: /t/ voiceless · /d/ voiced
Practice
ten — den; coat — code
/k · ɡ/
Velar
Placement
Raise the back of the tongue to the soft palate, then release.
Voice: /k/ voiceless · /ɡ/ voiced
Practice
coat — goat; back — bag
Fricatives
All sections ↑Keep a narrow gap so air makes friction.
/f · v/
Labiodental
Placement
Rest the upper teeth lightly on the lower lip; keep air moving.
Voice: /f/ voiceless · /v/ voiced
Practice
fan — van; fine — vine
/θ · ð/
Dental
Placement
Place the tongue tip lightly between the teeth or against the upper teeth; let air pass.
Voice: /θ/ voiceless · /ð/ voiced
Practice
thin, bath; this, breathe
/s · z/
Alveolar
Placement
Bring the tongue blade close to the tooth ridge without sealing it; direct air down the middle.
Voice: /s/ voiceless · /z/ voiced
Practice
sip — zip; bus — buzz
/ʃ · ʒ/
Postalveolar
Placement
Raise the tongue blade just behind the tooth ridge; gently round the lips.
Voice: /ʃ/ voiceless · /ʒ/ voiced
Practice
ship, wish; measure, vision
/h/
Glottal
Placement
Keep the throat open and let breath flow; shape the mouth for the next vowel.
Voice: Voiceless
Practice
hat, ahead, home
Affricates
All sections ↑Start with a closure and release into friction as one sound.
/tʃ · dʒ/
Postalveolar
Placement
Close with the tongue blade around the tooth-ridge area, then release into /ʃ/ or /ʒ/.
Voice: /tʃ/ voiceless · /dʒ/ voiced
Practice
cheap — jeep; choke — joke
Nasals
All sections ↑Close the mouth at one point while air flows through the nose.
/m/
Bilabial
Placement
Close both lips. Feel a gentle hum through the nose.
Voice: Voiced
Practice
map, summer, team
/n/
Alveolar
Placement
Touch the tongue tip to the ridge behind the upper teeth.
Voice: Voiced
Practice
no, dinner, ten
/ŋ/
Velar
Placement
Raise the back of the tongue to the soft palate. In sing, finish without adding /ɡ/.
Voice: Voiced
Practice
sing, long, singer
Approximants
All sections ↑Bring the speech organs close without creating friction.
/ɹ/
Postalveolar
Placement
Use a bunched front tongue body or a raised tip/blade, together with tongue-root retraction. The sides rise while a central air passage remains.
Voice: Voiced
Practice
red, around, rain
/j/
Palatal
Placement
Lift the front of the tongue toward the hard palate, then glide into the vowel. This is the Y sound in yes.
Voice: Voiced
Practice
yes, yellow, beyond
/w/
Labial-velar
Placement
Round the lips and raise the back of the tongue, then release into the vowel.
Voice: Voiced
Practice
we, away, wet
Lateral approximant
All sections ↑Let air pass around the sides of the tongue.
/l/
Alveolar lateral
Placement
Touch the tongue tip to the tooth ridge while leaving space at the sides. For final dark L, the back also rises.
Voice: Voiced
Practice
light, alive, feel