Alveolar:
“Alveolar” is a linguistic term used to describe a category of articulation and a specific location of sound production.
In phonetics, “alveolar” refers to the position where the tip of the tongue makes contact with or comes close to the alveolar ridge, which is the bony ridge behind the upper front teeth.
The specific area where the tongue tip touches or comes close to the alveolar ridge is called the “alveolar zone.”
It’s important to note that the exact characteristics and phonetic representations of “alveolar” may vary in different languages.
There are four of them in Mandarin Chinese: d, t, n, l.
Tips for the “d” sound:
- Place the tip of your tongue against the alveolar ridge, which is the area just behind your upper front teeth.
- Release a burst of air by briefly stopping and then releasing the airflow with your tongue tip and the alveolar ridge.
Tips for the “t” sound:
- Position your tongue tip against the alveolar ridge.
- Stop the airflow by pressing your tongue tip firmly against the alveolar ridge.
- Release the airflow abruptly by quickly pulling your tongue away from the alveolar ridge.
Tips for the “n” sound:
- Place the tip of your tongue against the alveolar ridge.
- Allow the airflow to pass through your nasal cavity while blocking it from passing through the mouth.
- Release the air gently through the nose by lowering the soft palate.
Tips for the “l” sound:
- Lightly touch the tip of your tongue against the alveolar ridge.
- Allow the sides of your tongue to form a narrow passage for the airflow to pass around.
- Let the air flow out smoothly without any abrupt release or blockage.