Spoken English, Vocabulary Development – Consonant Sounds: /Z/,/3/,/j/ SS1 English Studies Lesson Note

SPOKEN ENGLISH: CONSONANT SOUNDS : /Z/,/3/,/j/

Consonant sounds are speech sounds produced with an obstruction of the air stream. When a consonant sound is produced, the flow of air from the lungs is obstructed somewhere in the mouth by either the tongue, teeth or lips.

In the English language, there are twenty-four (24) consonant sounds.

Consonants are divided into two parts, namely;

1. Voiced Consonants
2. Voiceless Consonants

1. The voiced consonants are the consonants that the vocal cords vibrate when they are produced. There are fifteen voiced consonant sounds. Examples; /b/, /d/, /g/, /v/,/ɚ/ /z/, /ʒ/, /l/, /r/, /w/, /j/, /n/,/ŋ/,/m/,/dƷ/
2. In the production of voiceless consonants, the vocal cords do not vibrate. There are nine (9) voiceless consonant sounds. Examples; /p/, /t/, /k/, /f/, /s/, /θ/, /s/,/ʃ/, /ʈʃ/, /h/.

THE SELECTED CONSONANT SOUNDS /j/, /z/, /ʒ/

1. /j/ is a palatal sound. It is a voiced consonant sound. It does not occur at the middle or end of words. It is produced with the front of the tongue raised and the lips in a spread position.

Sounds with the /j/ sound include: = y, ew, u, ue, eu, ui, iu, or eau 

eg: – Yes /jes/, 

– Young /jᴧη/

– Youth /ju:ϴ/ 

– Yam /jæm/ 

– Yeast /ji:st/

2. /z/ is a labio-dental fricative. It is a voiced consonant sound. There is a partial obstruction of air when produced and the sound is released with a hissing sound.

 Words with the /z/ sound include z, zz, s, ss, and x. Eg:

– Zero /zbrou/, 

– Zoo /zu:/, 

– Zebra /zebr∂/, 

– Zeal /zi:l/, 

– Raze /reiz/, 

– Crazy /kreizi/

3. /ʒ/ is also a fricative. It is a voiced consonant sound. It is produced in the same way as the consonant /z/. The letter symbols for the sounds /j/, /z/, /ʒ/ are: /ʒ/ as in su, si, gi, ge. Eg:

– Usual /ju:ʒi/, 

– Leisure /leʒ∂/, 

– Visual /viʒu∂l/, 

– Pleasure /pleʒ∂/,

– Treasure /treʒ∂

VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT: WORDS ASSOCIATED WITH AGRICULTURE 

1. Agrarian economy: A nation whose economy is predominantly based on agriculture
2. Fallow: Allow to stay without cultivation for a while
3. Orchard: A piece of land on which fruit trees are grown
4. Seedling: Young plant grown from seed
5. Barn: Building for storing farm produce, especially yams
6. Cash crops: A crop grown for sale rather than for consumption.
7. Arable land: Farming done on a piece of land good for tilling or ploughing.
8. Mechanized farm: Agriculture practised with the use of machines.
9. Nursery: Place where young trees and plants are raised for transplanting or sale.
10. Manure: This is fertilizer made from dung.
11. Bumper harvest: This is an unusually large quantity of crop gathered at the end of a farming season.
12. Tendril: This is the soft thin part of a climbing plant that needs to be attached to a support.
13. Crop rotation: This is the changing of crops planted on the same piece of land on a seasonal basis.
14. Agricultural loan: This is a loan given by the government or bank to enable farmer’s farming projects
15. Hybrid fruits: These are fruits produced from two plants of different species.
16. Amortize: This is to pay money borrowed in a bit.
17. Livestock: these are domestic animals raised for their working ability or their value as a source of food and other products.
18. Ranches: This a farm/confined space for the rearing of animals.
19. Beef: This is meat from cattle or cow.
20. Animal droppings: Dung or faeces of animals or birds.
21. Broiler: These are young chickens reared for eating.
22. Dairy products: These are food items made from milk, e.g. Cheese and butter.