Glossary: morphology and phonology

A secondary articulation formed by approximating the back of the tongue towards the soft palate. 'Dark l' in English is a velarized sound.

Involving the upper surface of the velum, or soft palate, and the pharynx. A velic closure prevents air from escaping through the nose.

Another term for velic.

The soft palate, one of the places of articulation, where velars such as [k] and the velar nasal (engma) are produced.

See false vocal folds.

A word that can be the head of a verb phrase (VP). Verbs denote actions (e.g., jump), sensations (e.g., taste), and states (e.g., understand). In many languages, verbs inflect for tense, mood, aspect, or agreement with their subject. We can distinguish between auxiliary and main verbs. Auxiliary verbs (also called helping verbs) typically accompany another verb and express person, number, mood, or tense. In the sentence He is looking at me, is is an auxiliary verb, and looking is the main verb.

An older name for vocal folds.

Two membranes in the larynx, whose vibration provides voicing and most of the sound energy of speech. Sometimes referred to as vocal cords.

A popular name for creaky voice.

The air passages above the glottis, including the oral tract and the nasal passages.