THE ANATOMY OF THE ORAL CAVITY

Upper and Lower Lips

Upper Teeth

Lower Teeth

Soft Palate (Velum)Hard Palate

Uvula

Pharynx

Glottis

Tongue

THE GLOTTAL CONSONANTSGlottal consonants are articulated with the glottis. The glottis is defined as the combination of the vocal folds and the space in between the folds (the rima glottidis).

Glottis

ا

THE BILABIAL CONSONANTSA bilabial consonant is a consonant articulated with both lips.

TongueبLower Lip

Upper Lip

THE DENTAL CONSONANTSThe dental consonants are consonants articulated between the front tongue and the top teeth.

ت

Front of the Tongue

Top Teeth

Tongue

THE INTER-DENTAL CONSONANTSInterdental consonants are produced by placing the blade of the tongue against the upper incisors. This differs from a dental consonant in that the tip of the tongue is placed between the upper and lower front teeth, and therefore may articulate with both the upper and lower incisors, while a dental consonant is articulated with the tongue against the back of the upper incisors.

ثBlade of the Tongue

Upper Incisor

Tongue

THE ALVEO-PALATAL CONSONANTSAlveo-palatal consonants are articulated with the blade of the tongue behind the alveolar ridge, and the body of the tongue raised toward

the palate.

ج

Hard Palate

Tongue

THE PHARYNGEAL CONSONANTSPharyngeal consonants are articulated between the root of the tongue and the back of the throat (the pharynx).

ح

THE VELAR CONSONANTSVelar consonants are articulated with the back part of the tongue (the dorsum) against the soft palate (the back part of the roof of the mouth, also known as velum).

Pharynx

Root of the Tongue

خ