The classification of consonants
The place of articulation
Position of the active organ of speech
Labial
Lingual
Glottal (the glottal consonant [h] is articulated in the glottis)
Bilabial consonants. articulated by the two lips:[p], [b], [m], [w] b)
Labiodental. articulated with the lower lip against the upper teeth: [f], [v].
Forelingual. articulated by the blade of the tongue
Mediolingual (produced with the front part of the tonque raised high to the hard palate) : [j]
Backlingual (produced with the back part of the tonque raised towards the soft palate) [k], [g], [η].
According to the position of the tip of the tongue
According to the place of articulation
Cacuminal (articulated by the tonque tip raised against the back part of the alveolar ridge and slightly curved back) [r]
Apical (articulated by the tip of the tongue against either the upper teeth or the alveolar ridge) [θ], [ð], [t], [d], [l], [n], [s], [z]
Dorsal articulated with the mid-body of the tongue (the dorsum) (Russian [д], [дь], [з], [зь])
Palato-alveolar (the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge, but the front part of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate) [∫], [ʒ], [t∫], [dʒ]
Dental (in English interdental, articulated against the upper teeth with the tip) [θ], [ð]
Alveolar (the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge) [t], [d], [n], [l], [s], [z]
Post-alveolar (the tip of the tongue against the back part of the alveolar ridge) [r].
The type of obstruction
Occlusive (produced with a complete obstruction formed by the articulating organs; the air-passage in the mouth cavity is blocked.)
Constrictive (incomplete obstruction)
Occlusive noise consonants
Occlusive voice consonants
Plosive consonants / stops.the speech organs form a complete obstruction which is quickly released with plosion: [p, b, t, d, k, g]
Affricates / occlusive-constrictive. the speech organs form a complete obstruction which is then released so slowly that friction occurs at the point of articulation:[t, dz]
Sonorants [m, n, n] (complete obstruction in the mouth cavity is not released, the soft palate is lowered and the air escapes through the nasal cavity
noise consonants (fricatives) the speech organs form an incomplete obstruction: If, v, 0, d, s, z, J, 3, h] noise prevails over tone
sonorants
tone prevails over noise
Median [w, j, r] (the air escapes over the central part of the tongue, the sides of the tongue are raised
Lateral [I] (the tongue is pressed against the alveolar ridge or the teeth, and the sides of the tongue are lowered, leaving the air passage open them)
Position of the soft palate
Oral
/p, t, k, f, v/etc. the soft palate is raised and the air from the lungs gets into the pharynx and then into the mouth cavity
Nasal
/m, n, η/.the soft palate is lowered and the air on its way out passes through the nasal cavity
Work of the vocal cords
Voiced/ lenis ("soft, weak") made by vibrating the vocal cords. b, d, g, j, l, m, n, ng, r, sz, th, v, w, y, z.
Voiceless/ fortis ("strong, energetic")made without any vibration of the vocal chords.ch, h, f, k, p, s, sh, t, th.