Okklusiivi

Okklusiivi is a term used in phonetics and phonology to describe a speech sound produced by stopping the airflow in the vocal tract and then releasing it. These sounds are also known as stops or plosives. The production of an okklusiivi involves three main phases: a closure of the vocal tract, a buildup of air pressure behind the closure, and finally, a release of the built-up air.

Okklusiivit can be voiced or voiceless. A voiced okklusiivi is produced with vibration of the vocal cords, while a voiceless okklusiivi is produced without vocal cord vibration. The place of articulation also determines the type of okklusiivi. Common places of articulation include the lips (bilabial), the alveolar ridge (alveolar), and the velum (velar).

Examples of okklusiivit in English include the sounds /p/ and /b/ (bilabial), /t/ and /d/ (alveolar), and /k/ and /g/ (velar). The sounds are often distinguished by their manner of articulation, place of articulation, and voicing. For instance, the difference between /p/ and /b/ is voicing, while the difference between /p/ and /t/ is place of articulation. The release of the airflow can also be aspirated (followed by a puff of air) or unaspirated. Okklusiivit are a fundamental category of consonants found in most of the world's languages and play a crucial role in distinguishing word meanings.