The affricates of English

It was explained that ʧ, ʤ are the only two affricate phonemes in English. As with the plosives and most of the fricatives, we have a fortis/lenis pair, and the voicing characteristics are the same as for these other consonants, ʧ is slightly aspirated in the positions where p, t, k are aspirated, but not strongly enough for it to be necessary for foreign learners to give much attention to it. The place of articulation is the same as for ʃ , Ʒ - that is, it is post-alveolar. This means that the t component of ʧ has a place of articulation rather further back in the mouth than the t plosive usually has. When ʧ is final in the syllable it has the effect of shortening a preceding vowel, as do other fortis consonants, ʧ, ʤ often have rounded lips.