The Tongue π
The tongue is extremely important for speech and is ultimately the culprit for a lot of subtle differences in non-native English accent differences. Whether we're talking about consonant sounds that don't exist in other languages (like the 'TH' sound for some) or slight differences in tongue position that DO matter (like the 'NG' versus 'N' tongue position), the tongue's involvement in speech and pronunciation is undeniable.
So let's breakdown the tongue.
Tongue Anatomy
We won't go into all the details of the muscles but it is important to know we use different parts of the tongue to make sound. We can distinguish between the tip of the tongue versus the rest of the tongue (or the 'tongue body'). When we can control just the tip, it gives a clearer or in some cases more precise or crisp sound. If we use the whole tongue instead of the tip, it can distort or make the sound more rough or warped. Sometimes I would describe that as 'slushy' sounding.
So tongue tip versus tongue body. Thereβs a difference.
Another reason we need to consider the tongue tip versus the body is that sometimes the tongue tip contacts the roof of the mouth and sometimes the tongue body contacts the roof of the mouth. Depending on which part contacts the roof of the mouth, it changes the sound. For example, we use the tongue tip to make the 'S' or 'T' sounds but we use the tongue body for 'K' and 'G'. The sound is changed if you try to use the tongue tip to make the 'K' sound.
Tongue Movement
We also need to talk about the way the tongue can move.
This is the nuanced aspect of English communication that holds a significant power or influence over your speech. It is oftentimes the key aspect that shapes a lot of the sounds.
You can lift your tongue up or down.
You can move your tongue left and right.
You can flatten your tongue so it isn't so thick.
You can bunch it up so it's narrow but thick.
You can curl it down or up.
You can stick it out and forward or pull it backwards and in.
Although these movements can seem silly or trivial to think about, they are the keys to precise pronunciation and shouldn't be overlooked.
When you stick your tongue out and forward between the lips, you can produce the TH sounds
When your tongue tip lifts up and touches behind the top teeth, you can produce the S sound
When the tongue body lifts up and touches the roof of your mouth while the tongue tip says low, you can produce the K sound
Combining the information of how your tongue moves with knowledge of other mouth landmarks, you start to build a sound map of your mouth!
Manner of Articulation
The way you produce sound is also important and can impact the final sound produced. I'll write an entirely separate blog post on manner of articulation but I do think the topic of the tongue also warrants a discussion on manner of articulation.
For some sounds, the way we produce the sound is by fully cutting off airflow and then releasing it. Imagine a cork popping off a wine bottle. That is one way we make sound. There is built-in pressure within the bottle and once the cork pops off, that pressure comes out with a POP sound.
Another way we can produce sound is like when a balloon leaks air. Imagine blowing up a balloon, holding the end of it, and relieving pressure between your pinched fingers. Air will gradually rush out of the end and a prolonged fart sound comes out. Notice how the sound can persist for a while. It isn't like the POP sound which happens in a split second and is done. The fart sound can last for several seconds before finally stopping.
Your tongue is involved in the mouth-equivalents of those examples.
Stops/Plosives
The tongue can physically block air from being release (just like the lips can physically block the escape of air with the sound 'P' and 'B'). When the tongue blocks air and eventually releases, it makes the 'T' 'D' 'K' and 'G' sounds. These are quick split second sounds. You can't hold the T sound for several seconds. The only way to 'prolong' the T sound is to say it over and over again.
T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T.
Fricatives
The tongue can also narrow the passage of air in the mouth like air leaking out of a balloon. Think of the 'S' sound. Your mouth shape gets smaller, your mouth is pretty closed, and if you pay close attention, you can feel air rushing over your tongue tip. You can hold the sound for several seconds and it's pretty easy to do that as compared with holding a T sound. It also doesn't feel the same as a stop/plosive. The air isn't fully halted. It just leaks out as your breathe out. To keep forcing air out, you may also feel your abs tighten more.
S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S
The More You Know.
Becoming more aware of how your tongue can move and how precise it needs to be can provide huge insights into your own speech. Some people are not comfortable sticking out their tongues past their teeth because they don't do it in their native language. English does. So knowing that it is acceptable, it isn't necessarily rude, and that it is important to helping you produce a clear TH sound is extremely helpful.
Furthermore, because most of my readers are adults and not children, some of these skills need to be explicitly discussed because it isn't necessarily intuitive anymore. Children seem to pick up these skills without being told. They just try and learn and improvise. Adults often overthink, are too shy to try, and have years of habits built-in which makes learning on the go and trying new habits hard.
Talking about it here and exploring your own mouth shapes in your own home can be a good start to trying.
Let me know if you have any questions below or if you learned something new! It can even be a difference in examples that made things click or make sense to you. I'd love this community to share those tips because those tips can make it click for others too!
