Question

Which are the three main air-stream mechanisms for the production of speech sounds?

• A. Pulmonic air-stream mechanism
• B. Velaric air-stream mechanism
• C. Glottalic air-stream mechanism
• D. All of the above

Answer 1

Answer:

D. All of the above

The Three Main Airstream Mechanisms in Speech Production:

Airstream Mechanism	Description	Example Sounds
1. Pulmonic	Air is pushed out from the lungs — the most common mechanism in human language.	Most sounds in English (e.g., /p/, /t/, /s/, /a/)
2. Glottalic	Air is pushed upward by closing the glottis and raising the larynx. Known as ejectives.	Found in some African and Native American languages
3. Velaric	Air is drawn in by the tongue from the velum and the front of the mouth. Known as clicks.	Click sounds in Zulu and Xhosa (e.g., dental clicks)