Question

What is the manner of articulation for /n/?

• A. Plosive
• B. Nasal
• C. Fricative
• D. Affricate

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Nasal

Manner of Articulation Explained

• The manner of articulation refers to how the airflow is obstructed or modified in the vocal tract when producing a speech sound. It describes the nature of the constriction at the point where the sound is made.

Understanding Nasal Sounds

• A sound is classified as a nasal consonant when the velum (soft palate) is lowered, allowing air to escape through the nasal cavity (nose), while the oral cavity (mouth) is simultaneously blocked at some point.
• For the sound /n/, the oral blockage occurs when the tip or blade of the tongue makes contact with the alveolar ridge (the bony ridge behind the upper front teeth).
• Despite the oral blockage, the lowered velum ensures that the sound is produced by air flowing out through the nose.
• The sound /n/ is also a voiced consonant, meaning the vocal cords vibrate during its production.

Key Characteristics of /n/

• It is an alveolar nasal consonant.
• Alveolar: Refers to the place of articulation (the alveolar ridge).
• Nasal: Refers to the manner of articulation (airflow through the nose).
• Voiced: Refers to the voicing (vocal cords vibrate).

Other Nasal Consonants in English

• English has three primary nasal consonants, all of which are voiced:
  • /m/ (as in 'man', 'sum'): This is a bilabial nasal, produced by closing both lips while the velum is lowered.
  • /n/ (as in 'nose', 'sun'): This is an alveolar nasal, as explained above.
  • /ŋ/ (as in 'sing', 'bank'): This is a velar nasal, produced by the back of the tongue touching the soft palate (velum) while the velum is lowered.

Relevance for Competitive Exams (Phonetics)

• Understanding the distinction between different manners of articulation (e.g., stops, fricatives, nasals, approximants, laterals) is fundamental in Phonetics.
• The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) provides unique symbols for each speech sound, and classifying consonants by their voicing, place of articulation, and manner of articulation is a common question format in competitive exams.
• Nasal sounds are often contrasted with oral stops/plosives (e.g., /p, b, t, d, k, g/) where the velum is raised, blocking airflow through the nose, and air is released explosively from the mouth.
• Knowledge of the anatomical structures involved in speech production (like the velum, alveolar ridge, tongue) is crucial for accurate phonetic analysis.