Lesson 3: Consonant Sounds and Contrasts

🟦 Introduction

Every English word is built from a combination of vowel and consonant sounds. Consonants involve a blockage or restriction of air flow when we speak—this might be with the tongue, lips, teeth, or throat.

In this lesson, you’ll learn the key types of English consonant sounds, how they’re formed, and most importantly—how to hear and tell the difference between them in spoken English. This skill is essential for the WASSCE Oral English Paper 3, especially in sound discrimination questions.

🟩 Key Concepts and Explanations

1. What Is a Consonant Sound?

A consonant sound is produced when the airflow from the lungs is partly or completely blocked by the speech organs.

✅ Examples:

• /p/ in pen

• /d/ in dog

• /ʃ/ in ship

2. Categories of Consonant Sounds

✅ Tip: Put your fingers on your throat. Say z then s. You’ll feel vibration with /z/ but not with /s/.

3. Place of Articulation (Where the sound is made)

4. Manner of Articulation (How the sound is made)

5. Common WASSCE Sound Contrasts

You’ll often be asked: Which word has a different initial/final sound?

Examples:

• ship vs chip → /ʃ/ vs /tʃ/

• leaf vs leave → /f/ vs /v/

• cup vs cub → /p/ vs /b/

• think vs this → /θ/ vs /ð/

✅ Visual Tip: Create flashcards of pairs and practice in front of a mirror.

🧭 Step-by-Step Sample Walkthrough

Question: Choose the word that starts with a different consonant sound.
A. vet
B. voice
C. vow
D. fan

Step 1: Say each word aloud

• A. vet → /v/

• B. voice → /v/

• C. vow → /v/

• D. fan → /f/

Step 2: Recognize the contrast

• /v/ is voiced, /f/ is voiceless

✅ Correct Answer: D. fan

🟨 Practice Exercises

Exercise A: Identify the Sound Contrast

Which two words have the same final consonant sound?

A. math
B. bath
C. bathe
D. path
👉 Answer: A, B, D = /θ/, C = /ð/
✅ Same: A, B, D

A. push
B. bush
C. brush
D. crush
👉 Answer: All end with /ʃ/ ✅

A. jam
B. gem
C. game
D. job
👉 Answer: A, B, D = /dʒ/, C = /g/
✅ Odd one: C. game

Exercise B: Choose the Odd Sound

1.
A. cash
B. ship
C. sheep
D. chip
👉 Answer: D. chip – starts with /tʃ/, others with /ʃ/

2.
A. map
B. nap
C. cap
D. gap
👉 Answer: D. gap – /g/ (voiced), others are voiceless /p/

3.
A. zoo
B. sew
C. zip
D. zone
👉 Answer: B. sew – starts with /s/, others with /z/

🔁 Recap

In this lesson, you learned:

• Consonant sounds are made by blocking airflow in the mouth.

• They can be voiced or voiceless, made in different parts of the mouth.

• WASSCE Oral English often tests you on recognizing sound contrasts, especially in pairs like /s/ vs /z/, /tʃ/ vs /ʃ/, /p/ vs /b/.

Understanding these helps you listen and pronounce more accurately—and gives you an edge on the exam!

🪞Reflection Prompt

Which consonant pairs do you find most confusing (like /f/ vs /v/, or /tʃ/ vs /ʃ/)? Record yourself saying each pair in a sentence. Do you notice a difference in how your mouth moves or vibrates? How can you train your ear to improve?