Lecture No.7
Title: Fricatives
Fricatives are produced when the air passes through a narrow passage where it causes friction of various types. Fricatives are continuant consonants, which means that they can be produced continually without interruption. There are nine fricatives in English such as /f, v,?, ?, s, z, ?, ? and /h/. They can be described as follows:
1. /f/ labiodental, fricative, voiceless, fortis
2. /v/ labiodental, fricative, voiced, lenis
3. /?/ dental, fricative, voiceless, fortis
4. /?/ dental, fricative, voiced, lenis
5. /s/ alveolar, fricative, voiceless, fortis
6. /z/ alveolar, fricative, voiced, lenis
7. /?/ post – alveolar, fricative, voiceless, fortis
8. /?/ post – alveolar, fricative, voiced, lenis
9. /h/ glottal, fricative, voiceless
Distribution of fricatives
The fricatives /f, v, ?, ?, s, z/ and /?/ ocuur initially, medially and finally. /?/ occurs medially and finally but not initially as in measure /me??/, garage /g?r??/. /h/ occurs initially and medially but not finally as in who /hu:/, behind /bihaind/. Phonologically, /h/ is a consonant. It is found before vowels. /h/ can be omitted in unstressed pronunciation of the words her, he, him, his and the auxiliary have, has, had