American English IPA ConsonantsWelcome to our chart of American English IPA consonants. The sounds are classified according to their place of articulation in the mouth (columns), their type of obstruction (rows), and voicing. Voiced sounds are red in color and voiceless sounds are green.
For more information about place of articulation, type of obstruction, and voicing, check out the links below.
Place of Articulation
Every sound is produced at some location in the mouth, ranging from the front to back. Place of articulation refers to where the tongue is articulating. Here are the eight places of articulation found in the English language:
Type of Obstruction
Sounds are produced when there is an obstruction (or degree of blockage) of air coming out. Different sounds have different types of obstructions. Therefore, type of obstruction refers to how the air is being blocked. Here are the six types of obstructions found in the English language:
Sound Classifications
Here we describe specific sound classifications for the range of American English consonants. We classify sounds based on three characteristics: place of articulation, type of obstruction, and voicing. Each sound has a combination of these three features.