SPEECH AND STAGE ARTS

Module 3

LEARNING OBJECTIVE:

 Describe the physiology of speech, the speech sounds, and the characteristics that determine the
vocal personality.

Time frame: 3 hours

Introduction

Speech is the faculty of producing articulated sounds, when their link together, these sounds form language. The
speech mechanism or the organs of speech are not primarily designed for purposes of speech. For example, the
lungs are primarily intended for breathing and teeth and the tongue, for chewing up food.

The organs of speech fall into three groupings:

 RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

 PHONATORY SYSTEM

 ARTICULATORY SYSTEM

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

 It consists of the lungs and the bronchial tubes which lead to the throat.

1. During the speech, the lungs take in air rapidly and let it out slowly. Breathing, which is primarily
concerned with maintaining life, is secondarily a force assisting in vocalization. It consists of two phases
--- inhalation and exhalation.

BREATHING EXERCISE:
• 1. Sit up straight. Exhale.
• 2. Inhale and, at the same time, relax the belly muscles. Feel as though the belly is filling with air.
• 3. After filling the belly, keep inhaling. Fill up the middle of your chest. Feel your chest and rib cage
expand.
• 4. Hold the breath in for a moment, then begin to exhale as slowly as possible.
• 5. As the air is slowly let out, relax your chest and rib cage. Begin to pull your belly in to force out the
remaining breath.
• 6. Close your eyes, and concentrate on your breathing.
• 7. Relax your face and mind.
• 8. Let everything go.

• 9. Practice about 5 minutes.

PHONATORY SYSTEM
  Responsible for vibration of the vocal folds (also called as the vocal cords). Phonation takes place when
voice is produced in speaking as the expiratory air stream from the lungs goes up through the trachea or
windpipe to the larynx.

 The vocal folds produce voice when they vibrate very rapidly, that is, when an airstream passes them.

 The function of the larynx as a vibration source is called phonation

 For voiceless sounds such as [p], [f], and [s], the vocal folds and the arytenoids cartilages are held wide
apart as in relax breathing; for voiced sounds, such as [b], [m], and [z], the vocal folds vibrate at high
speed and the arytenoids are pressed together.

ARTICULATION SYSTEM

 Is found in the head and throat above the larynx.

 It consists of three resonation cavities: the pharyngeal cavity (throat), oral cavity (mouth), and nasal
cavity (nose).

 A change in the shape of these resonation chambers, when the airstream passes through them, modifies
the quality of sounds produced, particularly the vowels.

Speech sounds are produced when air is exhaled from the lungs. Lungs provide the necessary aid and can thus
be described as the “generator”.

When one speaks, the air expelled from the lungs moves up through the trachea to the larynx, (commonly called
the Adam’s apple), where it passes over the vocal cords, or the “vibrators”

The voice is amplified by the series of organs which act as “resonators”

These are the larynx, pharynx, mouth, and nasal passages. Good speakers use their resonators effectively.

Sounds produced in the earlier steps become understandable speech during the articulation stage. The organs in
the body that work as “articulators” are the tongue, lips, teeth and hard and soft palates.

The speech Sounds

To be understood in oral communication, one has to produce the speech sounds clearly.

Consonant sounds are produced with a complete or partial closure of the vocal tract. They are described in
terms of: (1) place or point of articulation (where the sound is being made), (2) manner of articulation (how the
sound is being produced), and (3) voicing (whether or not the vocal chords are vibrating.

Place of Articulation

a. BILABIAL. Sound is made with closure of both lips such as the sounds [p], [b], [m].
b. LABIO-DENTAL. Sounds are produced with the closure or near closure of the lower lip and the upper
teeth. Labio-dental sounds are [f], [v]
c. DENTAL. The tip of the tongue is placed against or near the teeth to produce the dental sounds [Ɵ], [ō].
d. ALVEOLAR. Alveolar sounds such as [t], [d], [n], [s], and [z] are produced with the tip or the blade of the
tongue touching or brought near the alveolar ridge.
 e. PALATO-ALVEOLAR. Sounds such as [ʒ] and [ʃ] are produced with the tip or blade of the tongue or
touching the hard palata which is behind the alveolar ridge. The term alveopalatal is sometimes used for
this place of articulation.
f. PALATAL. The palatal sound involves the front of the tongue against or near the palate such as in the
production of [j].
g. VELAR. Velar sounds [k], [g], [ƞ] are produced with the back of the tongue against or near the velum or
the soft palate.
h. GLOTTAL. The glottal sound [h] is produced with a constriction in the glottis.

Manner of Articulation

a. PLOSIVE. The sound is produced with a complete obstruction of the vocal tract, which, when released,
makes the air “explode” out of the mouth.
b. NASAL. The sound is produced by the obstruction of the vocal tract and lowering of the velum, which
causes the airflow to flow out of the nasal cavity rather than from the oral cavity.
c. FRICATIVE. Like the stop, there is constriction in the vocal tract by the articulators but they do not make
a complete closure. When the air passes through a very narrow opening, the air becomes turbulent,
producing a hiss-like friction.
d. AFFRICATIVE. The sound produced is a combination of a stop and a fricative. There is a complete closure
in the vocal tract. This means that the articulators have enough space between them to allow the
airstream through with no audible friction. Lateral approximants are produced with the center if the
tongue forming a closure with the roof of the mouth but the sides are lowered.

Voicing

Is the state of glottis refers to what the vocal folds are doing.

Voiceless sound-air passes through open vocal folds

Voiced sound- air through passes through vibrating sounds

What are the vocal folds doing?

You can feel the difference between voiced or voiceless sound by putting your hand when you’re a male or
where your Adam’s apple would be

Vowel sounds, unlike consonant sounds, are produced with an open vocal tract.

Vowels are described in terms of (1) height (vertical position of the tongue relative to the roof of the
mouth), (2) backness (the position of the tongue relative to the back of the mouth), and (3) roundedness
(whether the lips are rounded or not when a vowel sound is produced)

The Vowel Sounds of English

FRONT CENTRAL BACK

High i (beat) U (boot)
I (bit) U (book)
Mid E (bait) ^ (but) 0 (low)
Ɛ (bet) Ə (around) Ɔ (law)
Low æ(bat) Α (pot)
Vocal characteristics
Voice can be used in a number of ways to enhance speech. By controlling the major vocal characteristics, a
speaker can complement, supplement, or even contradict the meaning conveyed in his/her message.

a. Volume refers to the loudness or softness of the voice. This is controlled by the diaphragm. To speak
loudly, one must increase the amount of air released when speaking. Varying the volume of the voice
can help keep the audience’s attention; changing volume can help call attention to important ideas.
b. Pitch is the highness or lowness of the tone or the sound of the voice. One’s voice has a natural pitch,
determined by the size of the vocal cords. Vocal pitch accompanies changes in volume. A speaker may
lower the pitch when trying to be forceful. Voice sounds more interesting when pitch is varied in
speeches. Monotone speakers, or people who use the same pitch or a limited pitch pattern when they
speak, sound disinterested and unenthusiastic.
c. Rate is the speed at which a speaker talks. The speech rate depends speed with which one moves
his/her articulators and the pauses he/she makes between groups of sounds. Nervousness can make
speakers increase their rate of speech. The ideal speed is slow enough to be understood by listeners and
fast enough to hold their attention.
d. Quality is what makes one speaker’s vice distinct from other voices. It is the general tone of the voice. If
the voice is pleasant, the audience is often more receptive. The common causes of poor voice quality are
nasality, denasality, harshness, hoarseness, and breathiness.