According to the work of the vocal cords and the force of exhalation noise consonants are subdivided into voiced and voiceless

Voiced consonants are: / b d g v D z Z G /

Voiceless consonants are: /p t k f T s S h C /

The force of exhalation and the degree of muscular tension are greater in the production of voiceless consonants therefore they are called “fortis” (“strong, energetic”) Voiced consonants are called “lenis” (“soft, weak”) because the force of exhalation and the degree of muscular tension are weaker.

The English consonants /h m n N w l r j / do not enter into fortis-lenis oppositions.

According to the position of the active organ of speech consonants are classified into labial, lingual, glottal.

Labial consonants fall into bilabial, labio-dental.

Lingual consonants fall into forelingual, mediolingual, backlingual.

Forelingual consonants are articulated with the tip or the blade of the tongue. According to the place of obstruction forelingual consonants may be interdental, alveolar, post-alveolar, palato-alveolar.

Glottal consonant /h/ is articulated in the glottis.

Interdental consonants are articulated with the tip of the tongue projected between the teeth: /T D/.

Alveolar consonants are articulated with the tip of the tongue against the upper teeth ridge: /t d s z n l /.

Post-alveolar consonants are articulated with the tip or the blade of the tongue against the back part of the teeth ridge: /r/.

Palato-alveolar consonants are articulated with the tip or the blade of the tongue against the teeth ridge, the front part of the tongue raised towards the hard palate: /S Z C G/.

Mediolingual consonants are produced with the front part of the tongue. They are always palatal according to the place of obstruction. Palatal consonants are articulated with the front part of the tongue raised high to the hard palate: / j /.

Backlingual (velar) consonants are produced with the back part of the tongue raised towards the soft palate ”velum”: /k g N/.

According to the manner of noise production and the type of obstruction consonants fall into occlusive (stop) with the complete closure: /p b t d k g m n N/; constrictive consonants with incomplete closure: /f v T D s z SZ h j l r/; occlusive-constrictive (affricates) withthe combination of the two closures: / C G /.

According to the position of the soft palate all consonants are subdivided into oral and nasal. When the soft palate is raised and the air from the lungs gets into the pharynx and then into the mouth cavity oral consonants are produced: / p b t d k g f v T D s z SZ C G h w j l r/. When the soft palate is lowered and the air on its way out passes through the nasal cavity nasal consonants are produced: /m n N/.