Practice question · Multiple choice
Why does lowering the velum during a bilabial closure change /b/ into /m/?
Hints
- The lips do exactly the same thing for both sounds.
- The only difference is which cavity the air escapes through.
Show the answer
D. It opens the nasal cavity, so the airflow escapes through the nose while the lips stay closed
Why
Because the nasal cavity opens and the air leaves through the nose. The lips are closed for both sounds and both are voiced, the velum is the entire difference. Note the first option confuses a place with a manner: nasal is a manner, and /m/ is still bilabial.
Practise How Speech Is Produced
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More questions on How Speech Is Produced
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