[General] Final Consonants

[Romin]

Hello,
I am currently preparing for the state final exams. One of the questions in phonetics and phonology is "Final consonants: ways of compensating for the lack of voicing in initial and final position". I dont fully understand what they want from me.

Could somebody explain or show what are the "ways of compensating"?

Thank you

 

[andrewg927]

What is the question?

 

[probus]

What is the question?

The question has been clearly stated. I regret​ that I don't know the answer. As a native speaker, I just do it and have never thought about the mechanism.

 

[Romin]

I suppose the question refers to such things as the devoicing of the final voiced consonant when followed by a voiced consonant in such phrases as has to, have to (/z/ → /s/, /v/ → /f/). I don't know how we 'compensate' for this.

So I can discuss the different pronunciation of: Plural -s (cats vs dogs /s/ /z/) or for example participle -ED (missed /st/ whizzed /zd/).

And final consonants (plossives, fricatives and affricatives) differ mostly in the length of pronunciation or there is something else?