Plosives

Introduction

Plosives are among the most variable and complex sounds in English. The aim here is to demonstrate and explore some of this complexity.

The precise place of articulation for plosives is highly dependent on the context. Table 7.1 uses the terms labial, coronal and dorsal to reflect this variability in place of articulation. These terms are commonly used in phonology, and they refer to active articulators: lips, tongue tip/blade and tongue back. Glottal stops are common in English and so are included in Table 7.1.

By the end, you will understand how it comes to be that the apparently simple plosive system of English is phonetically very rich.