3.2. 辅音（Consonants）

地球上的所有语言都一样，在自然语流中，辅音不会单独存在。单独的元音，可以构成音节，也可以构成或者表达意义。比如，ah <span class="pho alt">ɑː</span><span class="speak-word-inline" data-audio-us-male="/audios/us_phonetics_sound_father_2023feb.mp3"></span>, oh <span class="pho alt">oʊ</span><span class="speak-word-inline" data-audio-us-male="/audios/us_phonetics_sound_nose_2023feb.mp3"></span>，或者 Uh-Oh <span class="pho alt">ˈʌ.oʊ</span><span class="speak-word-inline" data-audio-us-female="/audios/Uh-Oh.mp3"></span>¹。但，绝大多数辅音必须依附于元音才能构成音节，并且，单独的辅音也不能构成意义。

辅音可以根据发声时声带是否震动被分为清辅音（voiceless consonants）与浊辅音（voiced consonants）。清辅音只有气流震动，没有声带振动，而浊辅音的气流震动却伴有声带振动。比如，<span class="pho">s</span> 是清辅音，<span class="pho">z</span> 是浊辅音。

	辅音（consonants）
清辅音（voiceless）	<span class="pho">p</span>, <span class="pho">t</span>, <span class="pho">k</span>, <span class="pho">f</span>, <span class="pho">s</span>, <span class="pho">θ</span>, <span class="pho">ʃ</span>, <span class="pho">h</span>, <span class="pho">tʃ</span>, <span class="pho">tr</span>, <span class="pho">ts</span>
浊辅音（voiced）	<span class="pho">b</span>, <span class="pho">d</span>, <span class="pho">g</span>, <span class="pho">v</span>, <span class="pho">z</span>, <span class="pho">ð</span>, <span class="pho">ʒ</span>, <span class="pho">r</span>, <span class="pho">dʒ</span>, <span class="pho">dr</span>, <span class="pho">dz</span>, <span class="pho">m</span>, <span class="pho">n</span>, <span class="pho">ŋ</span>, <span class="pho">l</span>

注意：<span class="pho">w</span> 和 <span class="pho">j</span> 这两个辅音被称为半元音 —— 无法用声带振动与否分类。

辅音的另外一个划分，是根据口腔内气流振动的方式和位置。

气流振动方式（Airflow）	清浊与否（Voiced or not）	辅音（Consonants）
破擦音（Plosive）	清辅音	<span class="pho">p</span>, <span class="pho">t</span>, <span class="pho">k</span>
	浊辅音	<span class="pho">b</span>, <span class="pho">d</span>, <span class="pho">g</span>
摩擦音（Fricative）	清辅音	<span class="pho">f</span>, <span class="pho">s</span>, <span class="pho">θ</span>, <span class="pho">ʃ</span>, <span class="pho">h</span>
	浊辅音	<span class="pho">v</span>, <span class="pho">z</span>, <span class="pho">ð</span>, <span class="pho">ʒ</span>
塞擦音（Affricate）	清辅音	<span class="pho">tʃ</span>, <span class="pho">tr</span>, <span class="pho">ts</span>
	浊辅音	<span class="pho">dʒ</span>, <span class="pho">dr</span>, <span class="pho">dz</span>
鼻音（Nasal）	浊辅音	<span class="pho">m</span>, <span class="pho">n</span>, <span class="pho">ŋ</span>
边擦音（Lateral）	浊辅音	<span class="pho">l</span>, <span class="pho">r</span>
半元音（Semivowel）		<span class="pho">j</span>, <span class="pho">w</span>

作为初学者，你无需尝试记忆这些分类和术语 —— 除非将来你有多余的时间精力。这些语言学的概念，并不构成任何学习障碍。你需要了解的只不过是分类的依据：声带振动与否，以及气流振动方式和位置。

另外，需要注意：有 4 个辅音，<span class="pho">l</span>, <span class="pho">m</span>, <span class="pho">n</span>，以及之前见过很多次的 <span class="pho">r</span>，它们被称作 “音节辅音”，因为它们自带 <span class="pho">ə</span> 的音色。比如，bottle <span class="pho alt">ˈbɑːtl</span>, bottom <span class="pho alt">ˈbɑːtm</span>, button <span class="pho alt">ˈbʌtn</span>。有些词典会用 <span class="pho">ᵊ</span>，比如写成： bottle <span class="pho alt">ˈbɑːtᵊl</span>, bottom <span class="pho alt">ˈbɑːtᵊm</span>, button <span class="pho alt">ˈbʌtᵊn</span>。而《剑桥英语发声词典》的标注方式是：bottle <span class="pho alt">ˈbɑːt̬əl</span>, bottom <span class="pho alt">ˈbɑːt̬əm</span>, button <span class="pho alt">ˈbʌtən</span>……

格外需要注意的是：辅音发声时，舌尖起始位置非常重要。

以下 4 个位置，我们会反复提及：

Positions of tongue tip	Consonants
①	<span class="pho">θ</span>, <span class="pho">ð</span>
②	<span class="pho">s</span>, <span class="pho">z</span>
③	<span class="pho">t</span>, <span class="pho">d</span>, <span class="pho">l</span>, <span class="pho">ʃ</span>, <span class="pho">ʒ</span>, <span class="pho">tʃ</span>, <span class="pho">dʒ</span>, <span class="pho">tr</span>, <span class="pho">dr</span>
④	<span class="pho">r</span>

Footnotes

1. Uh-Oh <span class="pho alt">ˈʌ.oʊ</span> 实际上有个隐藏的辅音，喉塞音 <span class="pho">ʔ</span>，完整的音标应该是 <span class="pho alt">ˈʌʔ.oʊ</span>…… ↩