Definition:
A sonorant is a speech sound produced with a vocal tract configuration that allows continuous, relatively unimpeded airflow, resulting in a voiced, resonant sound. Sonorant consonants include nasals (/m, n, ŋ/), liquids (/l, r/), and glides (/w, j/). All vowels are also sonorants. Sonorants contrast with obstruents, which significantly obstruct airflow.
In-Depth Explanation
The sonorant–obstruent distinction is fundamental to phonological theory and affects phonological processes across languages. Key properties of sonorants:
- Voiced by default. Sonorants are inherently voiced in most languages because the open vocal tract configuration naturally facilitates vocal fold vibration. Voiceless sonorants exist (like the voiceless /l/ in Welsh ll) but are cross-linguistically rare.
- Higher sonority. On the sonority hierarchy, sonorants rank above obstruents. This explains syllable structure patterns: sonorants tend to be closer to the syllable nucleus (the vowel) while obstruents sit at syllable edges.
- They carry tone and pitch. In tonal and pitch-accent languages like Japanese, pitch distinctions are realized on sonorants (including vowels) because they have regular voicing. Obstruents can disrupt or reset pitch patterns.
| Type | Examples (English) | Examples (Japanese) | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | /m, n, ŋ/ | /m, n, ɴ/ | Complete oral closure but airflow through nose |
| Liquid | /l, r/ | /ɾ/ (flap) | Partial obstruction, lateral or central |
| Glide | /w, j/ | /w, j/ | Very slight constriction, vowel-like |
| Vowel | /a, e, i, o, u/ | /a, e, i, o, ɯ/ | No obstruction, maximum sonority |
In Japanese phonology, sonorants play several distinctive roles:
- Moraic nasals: The moraic nasal /ɴ/ (ん) is a sonorant that occupies its own mora. It assimilates to the place of articulation of the following consonant: [m] before /b, p/, [n] before /t, d/, [ŋ] before /k, g/.
- The Japanese /r/: Japanese has a single liquid phoneme — a flap /ɾ/ — rather than the /l/ vs. /r/ contrast in English. This is a major perception challenge for Japanese learners of English and English learners of Japanese alike.
- Pitch accent: Japanese pitch accent patterns are realized primarily on sonorants. High and low pitch distinctions are clearly audible on vowels and nasals.
Related Terms
See Also
Research
- Ladefoged, P., & Johnson, K. (2014). A Course in Phonetics (7th ed.). Cengage Learning. — Comprehensive coverage of the sonorant class with articulatory descriptions and acoustic properties.
- Vance, T. J. (2008). The Sounds of Japanese. Cambridge University Press. — Detailed analysis of Japanese sonorants including the moraic nasal and the flap /ɾ/.