Understanding the B&P Consonants

The P and B consonant sounds. These sounds are stops, which means there is something that stops the flow of air. In this case, it's the lips, which then part to release the air. These two sounds are paired together because they take the same position. The P is unvoiced, which means only air comes out, and the B is voiced, which means you actually make sound with your vocal cords. The lips are together even though the teeth are slightly apart. This is why the lips look - a little - pulled tight: because of the slight drop of the jaw. Pp, bb. They then open to let the air out and the sound is made.

Here is the sound from the front, where the lips are together but the teeth are slightly parted. That is why it doesn't look relaxed. And here from the side. Again, you can see this tension in the chin as the teeth are slightly parted even though the lips are closed. Here, parts of the mouth are drawn in. The soft palate is raised in this sound, and the tongue itself raises just a little bit, but the tip of the tongue is still touching the bottom front teeth. Sample words: pad, bad, pot, bought. Sample sentence: Pick a big print for the bedspread. Now we'll see this sample sentence up close and in slow motion both up close and from an angle, so you can really study how the mouth makes this sound.

Pick, the lips press together as the jaw drops slightly. A big, again, the lips press together as the jaw drops. Print, again the P sound. Tongue goes up to make the T. Lip comes up to make the F in 'for'. The, lips together, bb, bedspread, and here again to make the P in spread. Jaw drops to make the 'eh' as in 'bed' vowel sound, and the tip of the tongue up to make the D. And here from an angle. The lips press together even as the jaw drops and the teeth part. Pick, the 'ih' as in 'sit' sound. Pick a big, again the lips come together for the B, big. And again for the P, print. Tongue up for the T. For the. Lips together for the B in bed-, and again for the p in -spread. The 'eh' as in 'bed' and the tongue up to make that D.

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