Mastering English Consonant Pronunciation: Labial Classification Included

This guide explains how to pronounce each consonant of the English alphabet, including the position of the tongue, lips, and other articulators. Each sound is also categorized as "labial" (involving the lips) or "non-labial."

Labial Consonants

Letter	IPA	How to Pronounce	Labial Type
P	/p/	Close both lips completely, build up air pressure, then release suddenly (voiceless).	Bilabial
B	/b/	Same as /p/, but vibrate your vocal cords (voiced).	Bilabial
M	/m/	Close both lips and let air pass through your nose while vocal cords vibrate (voiced).	Bilabial
W	/w/	Round both lips and raise the back of the tongue toward the soft palate, vocal cords vibrate (voiced).	Labialized Velar (bilabial + velar)
F	/f/	Touch bottom lip to upper teeth, blow air through the gap (voiceless).	Labiodental
V	/v/	Same as /f/, but vibrate your vocal cords (voiced).	Labiodental

Non-Labial Consonants

Letter	IPA	How to Pronounce	Place of Articulation
T	/t/	Touch the tip of the tongue to the ridge behind the upper front teeth, build up air, release (voiceless).	Alveolar
D	/d/	Same as /t/, but vibrate vocal cords (voiced).	Alveolar
N	/n/	Same as /t/ and /d/, but let air pass through the nose (voiced).	Alveolar
L	/l/	Touch tip of tongue to the ridge behind upper front teeth, let air flow around sides of tongue, vibrate vocal cords (voiced).	Alveolar
S	/s/	Place tongue close to the ridge behind upper front teeth, blow air to create a hissing sound (voiceless).	Alveolar
Z	/z/	Same as /s/, but vibrate vocal cords (voiced).	Alveolar
R	/r/	Pull tongue back toward center of mouth, tip points up but does not touch roof, vibrate vocal cords (voiced).	Alveolar/Palatal
Y	/j/	Raise middle of tongue toward hard palate, lips unrounded, vocal cords vibrate (voiced).	Palatal
K	/k/	Back of tongue touches soft palate (velum), build up air, release (voiceless).	Velar
G	/g/	Same as /k/, but vibrate vocal cords (voiced).	Velar
NG	/ŋ/	Back of tongue touches soft palate, let air pass through nose (voiced).	Velar
H	/h/	Slight constriction at the vocal cords, air passes through (voiceless).	Glottal
SH	/ʃ/	Blade of tongue close to hard palate, blow air to create a "sh" sound (voiceless).	Postalveolar
ZH	/ʒ/	Same as /ʃ/, but vibrate vocal cords (voiced, as in "measure").	Postalveolar
CH	/tʃ/	Start with tongue against ridge behind upper teeth, release with a "sh" sound (voiceless, as in "chip").	Postalveolar Affricate
J	/dʒ/	Same as /tʃ/, but vibrate vocal cords (voiced, as in "judge").	Postalveolar Affricate
TH (thin)	/θ/	Place tip of tongue between teeth, blow air (voiceless).	Dental
TH (this)	/ð/	Same as /θ/, but vibrate vocal cords (voiced).	Dental

Summary Table: Labial vs. Non-Labial

Consonant	Labial?	How to Pronounce
P, B, M	Yes (Bilabial)	Both lips come together.
F, V	Yes (Labiodental)	Bottom lip touches upper teeth.
W	Yes (Labialized Velar)	Lips rounded, back of tongue raised.
All others	No	Use tongue, teeth, or throat, not lips.

Example Pronunciation Instructions

L: Put the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth just behind your teeth. Vibrate your vocal cords and let air move around the sides of your tongue. For "dark l" at the end of words, lift the back of your tongue slightly without touching the roof.

F: Touch your bottom lip to your upper teeth and blow air through the gap. Do not vibrate your vocal cords for /f/; do vibrate them for /v/.

T: Touch the tip of your tongue to the ridge just behind your upper front teeth, build up air, and release it quickly.

Notes

• Labial consonants in English are /p/, /b/, /m/, /w/, /f/, and /v/.

• All other consonants are pronounced without significant use of the lips.

• The place and manner of articulation determine the unique sound of each consonant.

Hear IPA sounds for the American English

IPA Pronunciation Guide | Vocabulary.com