Voiced consonants are consonant sounds that are made by vibrating the vocal chords.

Two students in Qatar classroom practising speaking

They can be compared with unvoiced consonants.

Example
Voiced consonants include:
/b/ as in 'bed' /d/ as in 'dip' /g/ as in 'good' /ð/ as in 'the'

In the classroom
Voicing is a useful way to show learners the difference between the sounds in some minimal pairs, for example 'bet' and 'pet'. Teachers ask learners to say 'p' and then 'b' with a hand on their throat to feel the difference in vibration.

Further links:
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/voiced-unvoiced-consonants
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/phonemic-chart
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/integrating-pronunciation-classroom-activities

Research and insight

Browse fascinating case studies, research papers, publications and books by researchers and ELT experts from around the world.

See our publications, research and insight