Re: Strange sounds

FFlores wrote:

> Trying new sounds, I discovered I had found a
> distinctive new point of articulation (well,
> new for me). I'm articulating a fricative
> like this: my tongue tip is pointing down,
> touching the inner face of my lower teeth
> (and my gums too); the middle part (blade?)
> is arched up, and touching the palatal
> ridge. My upper teeth are pressed against
> my tongue, my lips a bit apart, and I can
> either blow between my teeth and tongue
> (which is difficult) or laterally, making
> my cheeks inflate. I can also make a stop
> like this, maybe with some affrication
> (not lateral).
Congratulations!  You have mastered the Pinyin
sounds "z" (unaspirated affricate) and "x" (fricative).
Pronounce "z" with aspiration and you get "c".

These sounds are also used in Polish, where they
serve the roles of palatalized /z/ (voiced) and /s/
(voiceless), and contrast with /Z/ and /S/.

> How would you call it?
"Palato-alveolar", or sometimes "alveolo-palatal", take
your choice.

--

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