Fricatives are consonants that are made by creating friction between two or more parts of the mouth. They are made by bringing two or more parts of the mouth close together, but not close enough to completely block the airflow. Bilabial fricatives: These are made by bringing the lips together, but not close enough to completely block the airflow. The sound in this group is /f/. /f/: This is the sound you make when you say "fish." Labiodental fricatives: These are made by bringing the lower lip to the upper teeth, but not close enough to completely block the airflow. The sound in this group is /v/. /v/: This is the sound you make when you say "van." Dental fricatives: These are made by bringing the tip of the tongue to the back of the upper teeth, but not close enough to completely block the airflow. The sound in this group is /θ/. /θ/: This is the sound you make when you say "thin." Alveolar fricatives: These are made by bringing the tip of the tongue to the alveolar ridge, but not close enough to completely block the airflow. The sounds in this group are /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, and /ʒ/. /s/: This is the sound you make when you say "snake." /z/: This is the sound you make when you say "zebra." /ʃ/: This is the sound you make when you say "ship." /ʒ/: This is the sound you make when you say "vision." Palatal fricatives: These are made by bringing the middle of the tongue to the hard palate, but not close enough to completely block the airflow. The sound in this group is /ɕ/. /ɕ/: This sound is not used in English. Velar fricatives: These are made by bringing the back of the tongue to the soft palate, but not close enough to completely block the airflow. The sound in this group is /x/. /x/: This sound is not used in English.
This group of sound consists from the following sounds: s, z, ʃ, zh, θ, ð, f, v