Category | Examples | Description |
vowels | a, e | no vocal tract friction, most sonorous |
glides | y, w | consonantal forms of vowels i and u, slightly less sonorous |
liquids | l, r | friction caused by the tongue |
nasals | m, n, ng | slightly more friction, articulated through the nose |
obstruents | all other consonants | varying degrees of vocal tract constriction |
| s, f, th | partial vocal tract constriction |
| p, t, k | air buildup with complete vocal tract closure, then released in a short burst |
| ch, dg | fricative and plosive sound combined |
syllabic boundary | ||
word boundary | word boundaries supersede syllable boundaries |
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