Okkluzív

Okkluzív, or occlusive, in phonetics refers to consonants produced by complete closure of the vocal tract that blocks the flow of air, followed by a rapid release. This results in a burst of sound known commonly as a stop or plosive. The term describes the manner of articulation rather than the voice quality, though most languages distinguish stops by voicing and sometimes aspiration.

The articulation involves creating a complete obstruction at a chosen place of articulation, such as in the lips, teeth, alveolar ridge, palate, velum, or glottis. After the closure, the built-up air pressure is released, shaping the acoustic impulse. Some languages feature aspirated stops, others have unaspirated stops, and voicing contrasts may or may not be present.

Occlusives occur at several places of articulation: bilabial (p, b), dental (t̪, d̪), alveolar (t, d), palatal (c, ɟ), velar (k, g), uvular (q, ɢ), and glottal (ʔ). The consonant inventory can include simple stops and, in some descriptions, ejectives or implosives in other languages.

Affricates are related but distinct: they begin as an occlusion and end with a fricative release (for example, t͡s, d͡z). Occlusives contrast with other manners such as fricatives, nasals, and approximants, forming a basic dimension of consonantal phonology. Etymology traces the term to Latin occludere “to close,” via French occlusif or English occlusive.