[General] Unvoiced Consonants

[anupumh]

Hi,

Do the unvoiced consonants actually have no voice?

If its true, then how do we hear them if they are devoid of any voice?

When the unvoiced consonants are articulated, do the vocal cords do not vibrate at all?

Thanks

[mara_ce]

The vocal folds are held wide apart during the production of voiceless consonants and may vibrate for all or part of the compression stage for voiced consonants according to their situation in the utterance.

[BobK]

Originally Posted by anupumh

Hi,

Do the unvoiced consonants actually have no voice?

If its true, then how do we hear them if they are devoid of any voice?

When the unvoiced consonants are articulated, do the vocal cords do not vibrate at all?

Thanks

The wind doesn't have a voice (unless it's channelled through a chamber in which it sets up vibrations); but you can still hear it rushing past things, rustling dead leaves and so on.

Similarly, air pushed out of the vocal tract by the diaprhagm (to over-simplify) can cause audible vibrations in parts of the mouth and nose without - as mara_ce has said - the vocal chords doing anything.

b