Do I say [s] correctly?
| From: | John Crowe <johnxcrowe@...> |
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| Date: | Wednesday, July 11, 2007, 6:59 |
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What has frustrated me recently is that the description of a fairly common
sound, [s] is not the way I say it. I must admit, many aspects of phonetics
confuse me.
My understanding of the normal description:
The tip or blade of the tongue is supposed to be the articulator, which is
placed up against the alveolar ridge (which from what I read is right behind the
upper teeth) but not completely stopping airflow, creating high-frequency
turbulence. Air then passes over the sharp edges of teeth.
How I say [s]:
First of all, the tip of my tongue is no where near the alveolar ridge (that's
how it feels, at least), but rather the spot right behind the _lower_ teeth. (But
it is not here where the friction occurs.) Air comes out through the small gap
between the upper and lower teeth, producing the sound. It seems to me that
the articulator is the lower teeth, and the place of articulation is the upper
teeth.
No one ever told me that I have a speech problem, and the way I say it
sounds normal to me. Do I misunderstand the descriptions or do I say [s]
incorrectly?
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