Stop consonant

consonant in which the vocal tract is blocked so that all airflow ceases

Stops or plosives are consonant sounds that are formed by completely stopping airflow.

Stop sounds can be voiceless, like the sounds /p/, /t/, and /k/, or voiced, like /b/, /d/, and /g/. In phonetics, a plosive consonant is made by blocking a part of the mouth so that no air can pass through. Pressure builds up behind the block, and when the air is allowed to pass through again, a sound is created. This sound is the plosive consonant. The blocking is usually done using the tongue, the lips or the throat. Plosives can be voiced or voiceless.

[p], [t], [k] are voiceless plosives.

[b], [d], [ɡ] are voiced plosives.

[ʔ], [∅] are a glottal stop and a null initial which are made in the throat.

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