Velar plosives /k/ and /g/

 

Velar plosives /k/ and /g/ 

/k/ and /g/ are velar plosives since the sounds happen at the velum (also called soft palate). /k/ is unvoiced and is the counterpart to the voiced /g/. To make the /k/ sound, open the mouth, lift the back of the tongue, push the tongue against the back of the throat, and then let the tongue down with a puff of air. Air is briefly prevented from leaving the vocal tract when the back of the tongue lifts and presses against the soft palate. The sound is aspirated when the air is released. To make the /g/ sound, do as you do with /k/, but this time voice the sound.

Notice that the place of production of these velar plosives, /k/ and /g/, changes depending on the type of vowels. When they are followed by back vowels (e.g., /u/ and /ʊ/), these velars are produced normally, i.e., in the back of the mouth. However, when they are followed by front vowels (e.g., /i/ and /ɪ/), they are produced somewhere in the middle or in front of the mouth (e.g., “keep, Kim” vs “cool, cook”) 

Several alphabet letters can make the /k/ sound: k, ck, c, ch, x, qu/que.

k spelling:

kid, thinking, bake
ck spelling: 

back, sick, truck

c spelling: 

cart, cool, caught

x spelling (The ‘x’ is pronounced as /k/+/s/)” 

fix, fox, next, box
ch spelling: 

chorus, choir, ache, chaos, school

qu spelling (The ‘qu’ is pronounced as /k/+/w/):

quit, quiet, quick, question, queen

When the ‘que’ spelling is at the end of the word, it is pronounced only as /k/: for example, antique, unique. .