Tip #7: Our lips are a primary player in how we speak.
Our lips are an important factor in our speech. We use our lips in a variety of ways to make our speech sounds. When speaking North American English, our lips move and make different shapes to help our listener distinguish the sounds we are making. What is the lip factor in our speech? It is the effect of and extent to which we use our lips when speaking. Read on for specific examples.
Consonant sounds
If we think about our speech in terms of vowels and consonants, our lips are fundamental in how we make those sounds. For instance, some consonants are made mostly with the lips, like p and b. When we make a p sound, our lips are closed, and our vocal cords are apart. Air pressure builds up behind our lips and is released as we say the sound. We hear a puff of air.
We make our b sound in a very similar way by closing our lips and releasing the sound. Our vocal cords come together to vibrate and give the buzz sound to our voice. As a result, air pressure doesn’t build up at the lips so there isn’t a puff of air as the sound is made.
Another consonant we make with our lips is the w, as in “water”. We don’t close our lips for this sound but rather move them forward and round them as we say the sound along with the vowel that comes afterward.
Vowel sounds
Speaking of vowels, our lips are involved here as well. For some vowels, we round our lips. For others, we retract or pull our lips back. Still others, we open our lips as our jaw drops.
Move your lips
Our lips should move as we speak. We round them when we make a “sh” sound. We touch our teeth to them when making an “f” or “v”. We open them wide when we wish to project our voice so others far away can hear us.
If you find your speech isn’t as easily understood by others as you might desire, think about if you are using your lips to your advantage. Our lips are important when we speak. Move them and use them.
Tip #7: Our lips are a primary player in how we speak.
Our lips are an important factor in our speech. We use our lips in a variety of ways to make our speech sounds. When speaking North American English, our lips move and make different shapes to help our listener distinguish the sounds we are making.
If we think about our speech in terms of vowels and consonants, our lips are fundamental in how we make those sounds. For instance, some consonants are made mostly with the lips, like p and b. When we make a p sound, our lips are closed, and our vocal cords are apart. Air pressure builds up behind our lips and is released as we say the sound. We hear a puff of air.
We make our b sound in a very similar way by closing our lips and releasing the sound. Our vocal cords come together to vibrate and give the buzz sound to our voice. As a result, air pressure doesn’t build up at the lips so there isn’t a puff of air as the sound is made.
Another consonant we make with our lips is the w, as in “water”. We don’t close our lips for this sound but rather move them forward and rounded as we say the sound and the vowel that comes afterward.
Speaking of vowels, our lips are involved here as well. For some vowels, we round our lips. For others, we retract or pull our lips back. Still others, we open our lips as our jaw drops.
Our lips should move as we speak. We round them when we make a “sh” sound. We touch our teeth to them when making an “f” or “v”. We open them wide when we wish to project our voice so others far away can hear us.
If you find your speaking isn’t as easily understood by others as you might desire, think about if you are using your lips to your advantage. Our lips are important when we speak. Move them and use them.