Fricatives are a type of continuous consonants that have voiced and unvoiced pairs. Each pair is created with the same vocal tract shape; the difference between the sounds is whether the vocal cords vibrate during the sound or not.
Unvoiced → Voiced Fricatives
To transition from an unvoiced fricative into its voiced counterpart, the unvoiced sound transitions into the voiced sound simply by activating the vocal cords. The tongue and lips hold a constant shape and there should be no break between sounds.
Practice linking from an unvoiced into a voiced fricative:
1. wife‿vacation: He and his wife‿vacation in Mexico.
2. backpack's‿zipper: My backpack's‿zipper is broken.
3. worth‿that: Is it worth‿that much trouble?
4. himself‿vastly: Jordan found himself‿vastly unprepared.
5. helps‿zoos: The donated money helps‿zoos modernize their displays.
Voiced → Unvoiced Fricatives
When linking from a voiced fricative into its unvoiced counterpart, the voiced sound can be very small, or even omitted. If the voiced sound is omitted, a single unvoiced sound represents both sounds.
Practice linking from a voiced into an unvoiced fricative:
1. was‿sitting: The dog was‿sitting on the porch.
2. massage‿shouldn't: A massage‿shouldn't leave a bruise.
3. these‿scissors: These‿scissors are dull.
4. is‿sick: Kristen is‿sick again today.
5. improve‿fuel: New technology can improve‿fuel economy.