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Alveolar consonant facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

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
Xsampa-n.png Nasal sound (air through nose) English run [ɹʷʌn] run
Xsampa-t.png Stop sound (air blocked, then released) English tap [tʰæp] tap
Xsampa-d.png Stop sound (air blocked, then released, with voice) English debt [dɛt] debt
Xsampa-s.png Hissing sound (air pushed through narrow gap) English suit [sjuːt] suit
Xsampa-z.png Hissing sound (air pushed through narrow gap, with voice) English zoo [zuː] zoo
Xsampa-ts.png Combination of a stop and a hiss (like 'ts' in 'cats') German Zeit [t͡saɪt] time
Xsampa-dz.png Combination of a voiced stop and a hiss (like 'ds' in 'beds') Italian zaino d͡zaino] backpack
Xsampa-K2.png Side-hissing sound (air hisses out the sides of the tongue) Welsh Llwyd [ɬʊɪd] the name Lloyd or Floyd
Xsampa-rslash2.png 'R'-like sound (tongue comes close but doesn't touch) English red [ɹʷɛd] red
Xsampa-l.png 'L'-like sound (air flows over the sides of the tongue) English loop [lup] loop
Xsampa-4.png Quick tap sound (tongue quickly taps the ridge) Spanish pero [peɾo] but
Xsampa-r.png Rolling 'R' sound (tongue vibrates against the ridge) Spanish perro [pero] dog

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Consonante alveolar para niños

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