Voiced Consonants
Your vocal cords, which are actually mucous membranes, stretch across the larynx at the back of the throat. By tightening and relaxing as you speak, the vocal cords modulate the flow of breath expelled from the lungs.
An easy way to determine whether a consonant is voiced or not is to place a finger on your throat. As you pronounce a letter, feel the vibration of your vocal cords. If you feel a vibration the consonant is a voiced one.
These are the voiced consonants: B, D, G, J, L, M, N, Ng, R, Sz, Th (as in the word "then"), V, W, Y, and Z.
But if consonants are only single letters, what are Ng, Sz, and Th? They're common sounds that are produced by blending the two consonants phonetically.
Here are some examples of words that include voiced consonants:
Important
Vowel sounds (A, E, I, O, U) and diphthongs (combinations of two vowel sounds) are all voiced. That also includes the letter Y when pronounced like a long E.
Examples:
- City
- Pity
- Gritty
References
Beare, K. (2019, June 26). Know the Difference Between Voiced and Voiceless Consonants. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/voiced-and-voiceless-consonants-1212092