PLACE OF ARTICULATION
As it was noted earlier, the distinction between manner of articulation and place of articulation is particularly important for the classification of consonants. The place of articulation is the point where the airstream is obstructed. In general, the place of articulation is simply that point on the palate where the tongue is placed to block the stream of air. However, the palate is not the only place of articulation.
The place of articulation can be any of these points: (a) the lips (labials and bilabials), (b) the teeth (dentals), (c) the lips and teeth (labio-dentals—here the tongue is not directly involved), (d) the alveolar ridge (that part of the gums behind the upper front teeth—alveolar articulations), (e) the hard palate (given its large size, one can distinguish between palato-alveolars, palatals and palato-velars), (f) the soft palate (or velum—velar articulations), (g) the uvula (uvulars), (h) the pharynx (pharyngeals), and (i) the glottis (glottals).
After the air has left the larynx, it passes into the vocal tract. Consonants are produced by obstructing the air flow through the vocal tract. There are a number of places where these obstructions can take place. These places are known as the articulators. They include the lips, the teeth, the alveolar ridge, the hard palate, the soft palate, and the throat. Some phoneticians define articulators as the movable parts of the vocal tract.
