Name : Deszy Anna Rosita Dewi

Nim : 0912021113
Class : 5B
Subject : Phonology/ Mr. Adi

The Differences Production between Consonant and Vowels in Phonetics

The production of vowels and consonants, and their subsequent language specific
arrangements into syllables and words, depends on articulatory motor processes. If these
processes are impaired, speech sound production will be disordered. Generally, articulatory
phonetics is concerned with the transformation of aerodynamic energy into acoustic energy.
Aerodynamic energy refers to the airflow through the vocal tract. Its potential form is air
pressure; its kinetic form is the actual dynamic airflow. Acoustic energy is variation in the air
pressure that can be represented as sound waves, which are then perceived by the human
auditory system as sound. Articulatory motor processes depend in turn on many anatomical-
physiological prerequisites, which include respiratory, phonatory, or resonatory processes.
Speech sounds are commonly divided into two groups: vowels and consonants. Vowels are
produced with a relatively open vocal tract; no significant constriction of the oral (and
pharyngeal) cavities exists. The airstream from the vocal folds to the lips is relatively
unimpeded. Therefore, vowels are considered to be open sounds. In contrast, consonants are
produced with a significant constriction in the oral and/or pharyngeal cavities during their
production. For consonants, the airstream from the vocal folds to the lips and nostrils encounters
some type of articulatory obstacle along the way. Therefore, consonants are considered to be
constricted sounds.

Vowels Consonant
No significant constriction of the vocal tract Significant constriction of the vocal tract
 Open sounds Constricted sounds
Sagittal midline of vocal tract remains open Constriction occurs along sagittal midline of
the vocal tract
Voiced Voiced or unvoiced
Acoustically more intense Acoustically less intense
Demonstrate more sonority Demonstrate less sonority
Function as syllable nuclei Only specific consonants can function as
syllable nuclei

Note :
 The sagittal midline of the vocal tract refers to the median plane that divides the vocal
tract into right and left halves.
 Sonority of a sound is its loudness relative to that of other sounds with the same length,
stress, and pitch (Ladefoged, 2006).

References :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulatory_phonetics.