Alveolar consonant facts for kids
An alveolar consonant is a type of consonant sound. You make these sounds by putting your tongue very close to or touching the bumpy part right behind your upper front teeth. This bumpy part is called the alveolar ridge.
When you make these sounds using the very tip of your tongue, like in many English words, they are called apical sounds. If you use the flat part of your tongue just behind the tip (the blade), they are called laminal sounds.
In English, common alveolar consonants include the sounds for 'n', 't', 'd', 's', 'z', 'l', and 'r'. The sounds 'n', 't', and 'd' are some of the most common sounds found in human languages around the world.
How We Make Alveolar Sounds
To understand alveolar consonants better, think about where your tongue goes.
- For the 't' sound, your tongue tip quickly touches the alveolar ridge and then releases.
- For the 's' sound, your tongue creates a narrow gap at the alveolar ridge, letting air hiss out.
- For the 'n' sound, your tongue touches the alveolar ridge, and the air comes out through your nose.
These sounds are important because they help us tell words apart and speak clearly.
Alveolar Consonants in the IPA
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a special system that shows how every sound in every language is made. Here are some alveolar consonants as identified by the IPA, with examples:
IPA Symbol | How it Sounds | Example | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Language | Word | IPA Pronunciation | Meaning in English | ||
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Nasal sound (air through nose) | English | run | [ɹʷʌn] | run |
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Stop sound (air blocked, then released) | English | tap | [tʰæp] | tap |
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Stop sound (air blocked, then released, with voice) | English | debt | [dɛt] | debt |
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Hissing sound (air pushed through narrow gap) | English | suit | [sjuːt] | suit |
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Hissing sound (air pushed through narrow gap, with voice) | English | zoo | [zuː] | zoo |
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Combination of a stop and a hiss (like 'ts' in 'cats') | German | Zeit | [t͡saɪt] | time |
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Combination of a voiced stop and a hiss (like 'ds' in 'beds') | Italian | zaino | [ˈd͡zaino] | backpack |
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Side-hissing sound (air hisses out the sides of the tongue) | Welsh | Llwyd | [ɬʊɪd] | the name Lloyd or Floyd |
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'R'-like sound (tongue comes close but doesn't touch) | English | red | [ɹʷɛd] | red |
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'L'-like sound (air flows over the sides of the tongue) | English | loop | [lup] | loop |
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Quick tap sound (tongue quickly taps the ridge) | Spanish | pero | [peɾo] | but |
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Rolling 'R' sound (tongue vibrates against the ridge) | Spanish | perro | [pero] | dog |
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Consonante alveolar para niños