Place of articulation

Place of articulation refers to the location in the mouth where a sound is produced. The following are some of the main places of articulation:
1. Bilabials: Sounds that are produced using both lips are called bilabials. Examples include the sounds /p/ as in “pat”, /b/ as in “bat”, /m/ as in “mat”.
2. Labiodentals: Sounds that are produced with the lower lip against the upper teeth are called labiodentals. Examples include the sounds /f/ as in “fat” and /v/ as in “vat”.
3. Dentals: Sounds that are produced with the tongue against the teeth are called dentals. Examples include the sounds /θ/ as in “thick” and /ð/ as in “this”.
4. Alveolars: Sounds that are produced with the tongue against the alveolar ridge (the bumpy ridge behind the upper teeth) are called alveolars. Examples include the sounds /t/ as in “top”, /d/ as in “dog”, /s/ as in “sit”, /z/ as in “zip”, /n/ as in “not”, and /l/ as in “let”.5. Palatals: Sounds that are produced with the tongue against the hard palate (the bony part of the roof of the mouth) are called palatals. Examples include the sounds /ʃ/ as in “she”, /ʒ/ as in “pleasure”, /tʃ/ as in “church”, and /dʒ/ as in “judge”.
6. Velars: Sounds that are produced with the tongue against the soft palate or velum (the back part of the roof of the mouth) are called velars. Examples include the sounds /k/ as in “key”, /g/ as in “go”, and /ŋ/ as in “sing”.
7. Glottals: Sounds that are produced by restricting the airflow at the glottis (the space between the vocal cords) are called glottals. Examples include the sounds /h/ as in “hat” and the glottal stop, represented by the symbol /ʔ/, as in “uh-oh”.
Understanding place of articulation is important in teaching because it can help teachers to identify and correct pronunciation errors made by their students. By understanding where sounds are produced, teachers can help students to make the necessary adjustments to their articulation to achieve more accurate pronunciation.