Which sound is a glottal fricative?
A/h/
B/ʔ/
C/s/
D/v/
Answer:
A. /h/
Read Explanation:
Understanding Glottal Fricatives: The Sound /h/
- A glottal fricative is a consonant sound produced by obstructing the airflow at the glottis (the space between the vocal folds) and creating friction as air passes through.
- The sound /h/, as in "hat" or "house," is the primary example of a glottal fricative in English.
Key Characteristics of /h/:
- Place of Articulation: Glottal – the sound is produced at the glottis.
- Manner of Articulation: Fricative – air is forced through a narrow opening, creating a turbulent, hissing sound.
- Voicing: Voiceless – the vocal folds are open and do not vibrate during its production. This distinguishes it from voiced sounds.
- While /h/ is classified as a fricative, it is often described as a 'whisper' or a 'breathy' sound because the friction is minimal and involves the entire glottis rather than a specific narrow constriction as seen in other fricatives like /s/ or /f/.
- In some phonetic contexts, /h/ is also considered a transitional sound or a voiceless glottal approximant rather than a true fricative due to its minimal obstruction, especially when followed by a vowel where the articulation of /h/ takes on the voicing quality of the subsequent vowel (e.g., in 'ahead', the /h/ is often voiced).
Competitive Exam Facts:
- The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbol for this sound is /h/.
- English has only one common glottal fricative, which is /h/.
- Other fricatives in English (e.g., /f/, /v/, /θ/, /ð/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/) are produced at different places of articulation (labiodental, dental, alveolar, postalveolar) but share the 'fricative' manner of articulation.
- Understanding the place and manner of articulation is crucial for phonetics questions in competitive exams.