PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY
Segmental Aspects

Sonority is “a relative loudness or distinctiveness of the sound, that is, loudness depending on the subjective impression of the listener, not only the physically measurable intensity” (Pavlík, 2000, p. 111). Degree of sonority differs in the hierarchy of phonemes from one speech sound to another. Vowels generally have a higher degree of sonority, whereas plosives or taps as consonants with the lowest degree of sonority occupy the lowest place in the sonority scale. The phonemes found on the top of the sonority scale constitute the peaks of sonority, whereas those with the lowest degree of sonority are called the troughs (valleys) of sonority. The theory based on the sonority of the sounds presents the rule which explains that “the number of syllables in an utterance equates with the number of peaks of sonority” (Gimson, 1970, p. 49).

The presence or absence of the noise component is the criterion for the classification of consonants as obstruents or sonorants:

audible noise component – obstruents (plosives, fricatives, affricates)

no audible noise component – sonorants (nasals, laterals, approximants)

All vowels are sonorants, as well (Pavlík, 2000).

English:

OBSTRUENTS: p, t, k, b, d, g, f, v, θ, δ, s, z, ʃ, ʒ, h, ʧ ʤ

SONORANTS: m, n, η, l, r, j, w

Slovak:

OBSTRUENTS: p, t, ť, k, b, d, ď, g, f, v, s, z, ʃ, ʒ, c, dz, ʧ, ʤ, x, h

SONORANTS: m, n, ň, j, l, ľ, ĺ, r, ŕ