For starters, it is important to note which consonants are sonorous in Russian. These are sounds that are pronounced with the help of a voice, with little or no noise. These include [l], [m], [r], [l’], [m’], [r’], [j].
Features of sonorant consonants
They are unique in that they resemble both vowels and consonants. What distinguishes them from sonorous sounds is that when they are pronounced, the noise is almost inaudible. They do not have paired deaf or voiced sounds. That is why sonorous consonants are never pronounced deaf either at the end of a word or before a deaf consonant. A perfect example would be the word lamp, where [m] is pronounced loudly before the deaf [p]. Noisy deaf consonants are not pronounced loudly before similar sounds, as happens, for example, in the word request, which we pronounce as [proz’ba]. However, sonorous sounds should not be classified as vowels. Still, during their sounding, an obstacle arises in the oral cavity. So noise appears, and this is not at all characteristic of vowel sounds. Also, such sounds do not have another important characteristic that defines vowels. They do not form a syllable. It should be noted that this is typical for the Russian language, i.e.for example, in Czech, sonorous sounds have such features. Such sounds can be both hard and soft, have different ways of formation.
How is the sound [l] formed?
In order for the sound to sound right, the tip of the tongue should be behind the upper front teeth. And if he does not reach the designated place, then his sound is distorted and instead of a boat comes out - “woofer”.
If the sound is in a soft position, then the tongue should be pressed against the alveoli. It happens that a solid sound [l] is quite difficult to fix. Then you can try to clamp your tongue between your teeth and pronounce this sound. But such an action can only be performed during the training process. Thus, we see that not all sonorant consonants in Russian can be corrected.
The need for exercises for the correct pronunciation of sonorous consonants
Many people are absolutely convinced that exercises to correct the pronunciation of certain sounds do not make any sense. They are convinced that this method is not effective at all. It is enough just to understand the principle itself, how to pronounce sonorous consonants correctly, and everything will fall into place. Actually, it is not. Practice is essential here. And usually it starts with the sound [m]. This is because it is pronounced very naturally, and even yoga mantras use it.
Why sonorant consonants?
In Latin, Sonorus means "voiced". Suchsounds do not have paired deaf and are also called nasal and smooth. After all, they are all formed with the help of a stream of air that passes through the tongue, teeth and lips. Nothing interferes with it, and the sound is pronounced smoothly. [n] and [m] are considered transitional. For the formation of such sounds, the lips close tightly, but the air exits through the nasal cavity. There are three most effective exercises for practicing the pronunciation of sonorant consonants:
- The first is the repetition of a phrase that contains a large number of similar sounds. Quite often in such sentences you can see strange words that are never used, but they are necessary for practicing pronunciation. It is better if it is performed in one breath and on a nasal sound.
- The next sentence should be much more difficult. It is usually longer, so it is quite difficult to say it in one breath. It is better to immediately divide it into parts and also pronounce it in a nasal sound.
- The last sentence is even longer. But it is better to divide it into two parts. Perform the first, like the first two exercises, but before the second you need to take a deep breath and say as if you are sending something into the distance. This is how the "flight" of the voice should develop. All these exercises will help you learn how to pronounce sonorant consonants correctly if you do them systematically.
