B and CH for “Beach” For Fast and Easy Learning Using Human Brain Info

This is Number 5 in our series of recommended sequence for fast, easy mastery of American English speech sounds.  The directed instruction is for English consonants B, CH and the word “beach”.

Your brain organizes the production of speech by phonetic feature and by muscle group of the face.

The speech sound for American English B has the phonetic features of being quick and  of having a voice from the vocal folds in your throat and releasing an audible puff of air.  The American English B is pronounced by using the fast twitch muscle fibers of the lips by pressing the lips together and then opening the lips quickly.

For the American English speech sound CH,  the phonetic features are the release of an audible quick puff of air but no voice from the vocal folds in the throat.  The American English CH is pronounced by using the fast twitch muscles fibers of the tip of the tongue by pushing up and pressing the tip of the tongue against the roof or top of the mouth directly behind the top front teeth then bringing the tip of the tongue down quickly.

How do you know if you are doing these accurately in American English?  Answer: if your speech sounds match that of Dr. Antonia Johnson’s production on the video below, you are accurate for American English.  

Information alert:  The pronunciation of those sounds may be different in your first language so pay close attention to the position of the articulators–tongue and lips– the manner which is quick for American English, and the requisite or needed speech sound!