Definition:
A continuant is a speech sound produced without complete closure of the oral tract, allowing air to flow continuously through the mouth throughout the sound’s production. Fricatives, approximants, liquids, glides, and all vowels are continuants. Stops, affricates (which begin with a stop), and nasals (which have complete oral closure, with air exiting through the nose) are non-continuants (or “stops” in the broad sense).
In-Depth Explanation
The feature [+continuant] vs. [-continuant] is one of the key distinctive features in phonological theory. It captures a real articulatory distinction: during a continuant, air never stops flowing through the mouth. During a non-continuant, it does (at least momentarily).
| [+continuant] | [-continuant] |
|---|---|
| Fricatives: /s, z, f, v, h/ | Stops: /p, b, t, d, k, g/ |
| Approximants: /ɹ, l, w, j/ | Affricates: /tʃ, dʒ, ts/ |
| Vowels: /a, e, i, o, u/ | Nasals: /m, n, ŋ/ |
The classification of nasals is worth noting: nasals are [-continuant] because the oral cavity is completely blocked (the tongue or lips make a full seal), even though air continues to flow through the nasal cavity. Phonologically, nasals pattern more like stops than like fricatives, supporting this classification.
In Japanese phonology, the continuant distinction is relevant in several processes:
- Gemination (っ): The small tsu primarily geminates non-continuant obstruents (/pp, tt, kk/) and the continuant fricative /ss/. Gemination of stops means a longer closure phase; gemination of /s/ means a longer hissing phase.
- Rendaku: Sequential voicing applies to obstruents regardless of the continuant feature — both stops (/k/ → /g/) and fricatives (/s/ → /z/, /h/ → /b/) undergo rendaku.
- Phonotactic patterns: Japanese syllable structure (mostly CV) limits which continuants and non-continuants can appear in which positions.
Related Terms
See Also
Research
- Chomsky, N., & Halle, M. (1968). The Sound Pattern of English. Harper & Row. — Introduced the continuant feature as part of the distinctive feature system for phonological analysis.
- Ladefoged, P., & Johnson, K. (2014). A Course in Phonetics (7th ed.). Cengage Learning. — Clear explanation of the continuant/non-continuant distinction with articulatory and acoustic descriptions.