articulation

n. Articulation in phonetics refers to the way the articulators of the vocal apparatus are configured in the production of sounds. The articulators include the lips, the tongue, the epiglottis, and the larynx, as well as the teeth, the alveolar ridge, the hard palate, the velum or soft palate, and the uvula. Sounds occurring in the world’s natural languages can be described as having a place of articulation involving one or more of these articulators. For example, sounds produced with both lips (the consonants in bib) have bilabial place of articulation; sounds produced with the tip of the tongue touching the alveolar ridge (the consonants in did) have alveolar place of articulation. Manner of articulation is a different articulatory parameter to classify sounds, based on the way they are produced. By manner of articulation, consonants are classified into oral stops, nasal stops, affricates, fricatives, flaps, trills, and approximants. Abroad distinction is also made between obstruent and sonorant sounds, produced, respectively, with major or minor obstruction to the airflow. Vowels belong to the class of sono- rants, along with nasal stops, flaps, trills, and approximants, while stops, affricates, and fricatives are obstruents.             - EMF