A natural class is a set of phones that share a phonetic feature to the exclusion of all other features. (e.g., nasality for the phones [m], [n], [ŋ].)
Common Natural Classes
- Obstruents: All stops, fricatives, and affricates
- Sonorants: All non-obstruents.
- Labials: Bilabial or labiodental consonants.
- Sibilants:
[s, z, ʃ, ʒ, t͡ʃ, d͡ʒ]s A natural class is a set of [[Phone|phones]] that share a phonetic feature to the exclusion of all other features. e.g., nasality for the phones[m], [n], [ŋ]`.