TITLE:
A Comparison between English and Arabic Sound Systems Regarding Places of Articulation
AUTHORS:
Khawater Alshalaan
KEYWORDS:
English, Arabic, Sound Systems, Place of Articulation
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.7 No.5,
May
21,
2020
ABSTRACT: The English sound system differs from Arabic regarding places of articulation. Some of the English consonants do not exist in Arabic and vice versa. However, both languages share common palatal /j/. Arabic speakers find it difficult to pronounce /v/ sound and use /f/ instead. They also substitute /t/ and /d/ for /?/ and /e/. Arab speakers cannot pronounce the flap /s/ but stress the written /tt/. In English, /t/ is an aspirated alveolar but considered non-aspirated denti-alveolar in Arabic. As for /r/, it is always pronounced in Arabic but sometimes deleted in British English. Moreover, /?/ exists in Arabic as a consonant but alternative pronunciation in English.