suunaviisi

Suunaviisi is a Finnish term that can be translated as "direction of the mouth" or "speech direction." It is primarily used in the context of phonetics and linguistics to describe the manner in which air is directed when producing speech sounds. Specifically, it refers to whether the airflow is directed orally or nasally.

In oral sounds, the soft palate is raised, blocking the nasal cavity and forcing air to exit through the mouth. Most speech sounds, including vowels and consonants like p, t, and k, are oral.

In nasal sounds, the soft palate is lowered, allowing air to pass through both the mouth and the nasal cavity. This results in sounds that have a distinct resonance. In Finnish, the nasal consonants are typically m, n, and ng (represented by the letter 'n' before 'k' or 'g').

The distinction between oral and nasal articulation is crucial for differentiating meaning in many languages. While Finnish has a limited set of phonemically nasal sounds (primarily the nasal consonants), the concept of suunaviisi is fundamental to understanding the production of all speech sounds and how they are perceived by listeners. It is a basic phonetic characteristic that contributes to the overall sound system of a language.