Phonetics are Phun! Mystery Cache

To get the coordinates, you will have to solve the substitution cipher below. The symbols chosen to represent the letters are not totally arbitrary, but are based on the phonetic features of each consonant.

First, a little lesson in articulatory phonetics: Every consonant has three aspects or "features": voicing, place of articulation, and manner of articulation, and each of these aspects is represented in each consonant's symbol.

1. Voicing
   All consonants are either voiced (the throat vibrates when spoken; e.g., "d") or voiceless (the throat doesn't vibrate; e.g. "f").
   
   • If the consonant is voiced, the symbol has a dot.
     • Because these are pronounced using the larynx, you can control their volume when speaking them.
   • If it is voiceless, it has NO dot.
     • Since you don't use the larynx for these, you can't really control the volume of them. They are always "whispered" when spoken.
   
   
2. Place of articulation
   Also, all consonants (for the purposes of this puzzle) are pronounced using either the tongue or the lips.
   
   • If the consonant uses the tongue (it is dental or alveolar), the symbol is open at the top (a V shape).
     • E.g., a "t" sound
     • For these, the lips are open, and the tongue touches the back of the teeth or the roof of the mouth.
   • If it uses the lips (it is bilabial or labiodental), it is open at the bottom (a caret shape).
     • E.g., a "p" sound
     • These are spoken with both lips closed or the bottom lip touching the teeth.
   
   
3. Manner of articulation
   Consonants are also defined by how the air moves when speaking them. The air can either flow continuously through the mouth, flow continuously through the nose, or stop completely.
   
   • If the consonant is a stop or plosive (the mouth closes when spoken), the symbol has a left loop.
     • E.g., a "b" sound
   • If it is a fricative (air moves continuously through the mouth when spoken), it has a right loop.
     • E.g., a "v" sound
     • These sounds can be held indefinitely. For instance, you can hold a "v" sound as long as you want, but not a "b" sound.
   • If it is nasal (air moves through the nose when spoken), it has NO loop.
     • E.g., a "n" sound
     • These can also be held indefinitely (like fricatives), but they are impossible to make if you pinch your nose closed.

Solving the Coordinates

You should be able to figure out the cipher simply by sounding out the consonants below, determining which aspects they each have, and then building the symbol for each one, but you also have the option of just looking them up online to find out what type of consonants they are (this webpage has a helpful chart). (If sounding them out, be aware that you’re not pronouncing the name of the letter, but the actual sound it makes. So for the letter “t”, don’t say “tee”).

And the cache is at the following coordinates:

You can check your answers for this puzzle on Geochecker.com. Good luck! And I hope you find that phonetics really can be phun.

FTF goes to VATECHENGINEER!